Worry less, mermaid more...

Hey there!

I've got a pretty good back log of cards from the Sweet November Stamps MerMay clear stamp release still left to share, which is kinda nice now that I'm busy behind the scenes getting ready for Halloween if you can believe it. So even though this is the last day of MerMay you will still be seeing plenty of mermaid cards from me well into these summer months. So how about we close out this fin-tastically fun month with the gorgeous Oarla. To create this peaceful scene I paired Oarla with the cute turtle from the Mermees #3 set and the coral columns from the Horizon Lines: Under the Sea set are connected together using the sea floor that comes in the new Guppies set. I colored this up during one of my four Facebook Lives on release weekend and I think it turned out quite pretty.  :)

Also, just a reminder that today is the last day to get your entries in to both the Facebook and Instagram MerMay challenges if you don't want to miss out on earning the exclusive MerMay challenge digis awarded to everyone who participated this month.

Toodles!

 

Supply list:
cardstock- My Favorite Things and Catherine Pooler
stamps- Sweet November (Oarla, Horizon Lines:Under the Sea set, The Guppies set, Salty but Sweet and Mermees #3)
ink- Memento tuxedo black and Studio Calico clear blue
My Favorite Things double stitched slimline die
Wink of Stella clear glitter pen
Sharpie extra fine white pen
Copic markers:
sorry, I didn't keep a list but you can see the colors used here
 

You, me, and the sea...

Hello, hello!

I'm up on the Hello Bluebird blog today and as MerMay comes to a close I wanted to create a mermaid scene card using one of the lovely mermaids from the Sea Friends stamp set. This large set is jam packed with all sorts of fantastic under the sea accessory images, and while I used a few of them, I really wanted the majority of this scene to take place above the surface of the water. That's where I got a bit creative with some mixing and matching of stamp sets on this mini slimline card.To start, I used the largest die in the Nesting Deckle Mini Slimline Die set to cut out the Copic X-Press It card stock I would be stamping and coloring on. I then began stamping everything above the water's surface using Memento Rich Cocoa. This pretty seated mermaid was first, then the cute seagull from the Seaside Girls stamp set. I masked them both before stamping the piling posts for each to rest on and I also omitted adding any ink to the very bottom of the piling stamp in order to cut off the sand around the bottom of the original image. Once that was done I stamped the smaller flying seagulls, also from the Seaside Girls set, up into the sky. Now it was time for me to concentrate on the part of the scene that would be beneath the waves and all of that stamping was done using the Memento London Fog ink. I love how the lighter grey looks more diffused and pushed further back into the scene once you start to color over it. Both seaweed stamps are from the Sea Friends set while the larger fish are from the Sea Life set. 

It was finally time to color and I started with the background first. I wanted it to be fairly monochromatic, in all those pretty shades of sparkling blues. You may notice that I didn't add as much contrast on the fish and seaweed beneath the surface of the water, especially when compared to that sweet mermaid and everything else above the water. Just like using the lighter ink, sticking with lighter, less defined colors down below also adds to that look of everything at the bottom of the card being under water. I even used a light blue ink to stamp the fish silhouettes from the Sea Sentiments set down there too, adding another layer of interest. To complete the scene I chose pretty shades of violet for the mermaid which help her to stand out against all of that blue. A bit of white sharpie for some added sparkle to her tail and she definitely stands out as the star of this show. The sentiment is also from the Sea Sentiments set and I think it really captures this special moment between friends. :)

Stay crafty my friends!

Supply list:
cardstock- My Favorite Things and Copic X-Press It
stamps- Hello Bluebird (Sea Friends, Sea Sentiments, Sea Life and Seaside Girls)
ink- Memento rich cocoa, london fog and Studio Calico clear blue 
Hello Bluebird Nesting Deckle Mini Slimline die
Sharpie extra fine white pen
Wink of Stella clear glitter pen
Copic markers:
skin- E000, E00, E11, E04, R00, R20
hair- E50, E31, E34, E57, V01, V04, V09
top/tail- YG01, YG03, YG95/V000, V01, V04, V09, BV04, BV17, BV29
seagull- N0, N1, N2, N3, N4, N6, Y13, Y17, YR24
pilings- E41, E42, E43, E44
water- N000, B00, B01, B12, B14
seaweed- BG72, BG75, YG45
fish- BV00, BV11, BV04
sky- B0000, B000, B00, B12, C00, C0, 0
flying seagulls- C3
land- B45, B97

 

Stay salty, my friend...

Good morning!

The Sweet November Stamps May newsletter went out yesterday, reviewing all of the MerMay fun we've been having over the past few weeks. After you take in all of the beautiful and inspiring cards made by the SN design team and our fabulous guests, this newsletter ends with just a bit more eye-candy, LOL! After receiving many requests for a new merman to be added to the store, we heard you loud and clear and this month's newsletter subscriber free digi is the hunky Mariner Sevenseas. He may be playing a bit shy but when it comes down to it, Mariner knows how to lay on the charm. Heck, even the fish can't believe how devastatingly handsome he is. Hahaha! As you can probably tell, I had way too much fun crafting with this new digi and the best part is that you will be seeing him again when the exclusive Facebook and Instagram MerMay challenge digis get awarded to everyone who participated this month. Sure he can hold his own on a card but Mariner was designed to interact with each of these special mermaids.  ;)

Later gators!

Supply list:
cardstock- Papertrey Ink and Copic X-Pres It
digital stamps- Sweet November (Mariner Sevenseas and Stabby Bitey: Scaredy Fish)
stamps- Ellen Hutson (sentiment), Stampin' Up (fish)
ink- Memento tuxedo black and Studio Calico clear blue
My Favorite Things A2 stitched rectangle stax set 1
Wink of Stella clear glitter pen
Pear Blossom Press silver gel pen
Copic markers:
skin- E000, E00, E11, E04, E93
eyes- B06, B39
hair- E21, E23, E25, E27, E29
arm bands/necklace- C1, C3, C5/E81
tail- YG0000, YG000, YG03, YG91, YG93, YG95, YG97, E25, E29, BG32, BG23, BG07, B39
fish- G20, G40, BG93, BG72, BG75, BG78, R22, BG000, C1
rocks- C2, C3, C5, C7, N3, W2, W4, W9
kelp- YG06, YG67, BG99
sand/water- E30, E31, E34, E43, E44/B000, 00, B01, B02

My love for you runs deep...

Hey there!

Yesterday we released the Mermazing Friends digital stamp collection at Sweet November Stamps. It features four beautiful mermaids and their special ocean pals. You actually get three separate images with each purchase, the individual mermaid, the individual sea critter and the two of them together, which makes for endless mixing and matching possibilities. As always, I did a Live coloring to celebrate the release over on my Adventures in Coloring with Amy Facebook page. This time Asherah and Inky, the octopus where the stars of the show. Can't you just see the adoration pouring out of Inky's big expressive eyes? You can tell he would do anything for Asherah and she for him. I had a great group join me during the Live with a lot of commenting and participation, which always makes the time fly by. As you can see, the color suggestions were fantastic as well because these two besties turned out super cute! All in all it was a fin-tastic way to wrap up MerMay. :)

Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Supply list:
cardstock- Bazzill and Copic X-Pres It
digital stamps- Sweet November (Mermazing Friends: Asherah and Inky)
stamps- Neat and Tangled (sentiment), Stampin' Up (fish)
ink- Papertrey Ink spring rain and Studio Calico clear blue
My Favorite Things A2 stitched rectangle stax set 2
Wink of Stella clear glitter pen
Sharpie extra fine white pen
Copic markers:
sorry, I didn't keep a list but you can see the colors used here
 

Mermazing friends...

 

Hello friends!

Even though we are nearing the end of MerMay, the under-the-sea fun still continues with a brand new digital stamp release at Sweet November Stamps! Today we are introducing the Mermazing Friends collection made up of four beautiful mermaids and their special ocean pals. You actually get three separate images with each purchase, the individual mermaid, the individual sea critter and the two of them together, which makes for endless mixing and matching possibilities. In the store you will find; Naia and Flash, Masha and Bruno, Cari and Neo and Asherah and Inky.

For my first card I started with Naia and Flash printed out front and center at a fairly good size so that the two of them fill most of the scene. I tried something different for the background as I wanted to create a rock covered sea floor up in the shallows. For a first attempt I'm not hating on it but I know it will get better the more I play around with the idea. If you are interested in watching this scene being colored you can find the short Reel over on my Instagram or there is also the longer speed coloring video that can be found on the Sweet November Stamps Youtube channel.

Next, I printed out Masha and Bruno in much the same way, big and bold and right in the center. I don't know why but more often than not when I have an otter in the scene I tend to add a lot of kelp in the background. Don't ask me why, maybe I just like the idea of those cheerful critters playing hide and seek in those tall, green plants. :)

Finally, Cari and Neo are having a grand time playing in the roiling waves of the surf. They both enjoy letting themselves be tossed to and fro by the strong current until it pulls them to the surface where they can leap out of the water in an amazing display of their diving prowess. Then it's right back in the water to do it all over again.  :) 

Now be sure to check out the Friends of Sweet November Stamps group on Facebook for even more Mermazing Friends enchantment from Caitlin, Allison and Amanda. As well as our talented guest designers, Amy Gould and Jeanette Comerford. Don't forget, I will be coloring Asherah and Inky Live today at 11am PST over on my Adventures in Coloring with Amy Facebook page and I hope to see ya there!

You can also find us on Instagram @sweetnovemberstamps and don't forget to use the #sweetnovemberstamps any time you share a card or project using SN images so we can see all of your beautiful makes!

 
 

Salty but sweet...

TGIF my friends!

In case you hadn't noticed, this month I started a new coloring video series over on the Sweet November Stamps YouTube channel. Within each series I will color an entire scene from start to finish, much like I do during my Facebook Lives, only the YouTube cards are broken down into four or five shorter coloring sessions and posted once a week on Thursdays. I hope this makes them easier to take in, especially for those with super busy schedules. Yesterday wrapped up the first coloring series and now I can share the completed card here on the ol' blog. This scene was built around the pretty Mermaid Reflections: Capri digi stamp and I also added the little fish from the Waverly and Hydro digi set at Sweet November Stamps. You can watch this sunrise scene come together over the course of four videos or just skip to watch what you are most interested in. Hopefully my fellow colorists will find these helpful and inspiring because I'm already excited to get started on the next one!  ;)

And don't forget to check back tomorrow for a brand new SN MerMay digital stamp release... toodles!

Supply list:
cardstock- Papertrey Ink and Copic X-Pres It
digital stamps- Sweet November (Mermaid Reflections: Capri and Waverly and Hydro)
stamps- Sweet November (Salty but Sweet)
ink- Catherine Pooler juniper mist
My Favorite Things A2 stitched rectangle stax set 1
Wink of Stella clear glitter pen
Sharpie extra fine white pen
Copic markers:
sorry, I didn't keep a list but you can see the colors used here

Water you up to...

Olo!

I'm up on the TGF blog today with one more mermaid card to share before MerMay comes to an end. This time around I printed out the super adorable Leela MerBean because it's hard to beat the cuteness of a Bean. I surrounded Leela with a bunch of accessory images from the Little Mermaids and Minkie Mermaids clear sets to help create a scene for her to live in. I especially wanted to get the castle off in the distance, since she must be royalty with that coral crown on her head. Even though Leela is a digital stamp I could still make a quick mask for her by simply printing her on regular thin computer paper at the same time I printed her on the Copic X-Press It coloring card stock. I knew I would need a mask since my plan was to surround her with seaweed and fish and once the paper mask is fussy cut, it is easy enough to hold in place with a bit of washi tape while I stamp around her. Once Leela was finally posed prettily amongst the seaweed I could start coloring the scene. To help create a sense of distance between Leela and the castle I extended the sandy sea floor more than half way up the card. I also flanked the scene on either side with walls of rock that look like a sea trench receding into the distance.  The way they angle down towards her head is also a design trick that helps pull the viewers eye right to the most important part of the scene... our adorable little MerBean. For Leela herself, I thought it would be cool if her ombre hair matched her ombre tail and I'm quite pleased with the results. Of course I had to finish her off with the usual sparkly tail and Nuvo pearl drops to complete her magical look.  :)

Stay crafty my friends! 

Supply list:
cardstock- My Favorite Things and Copic X-Press It
digital stamps- The Greeting Farm (Leela MerBean)
stamps- The Greeting Farm (Cheeky Mermaids, Minkie Mermaids and Little Mermaids)
ink- Memento tuxedo black and london fog, Catherine Pooler all that jazz
My Favorite Things A2 stitched rectangle stax set 1
Nuvo dream drops pearl
Wink of Stella clear glitter pen
Copic markers:
skin- E000, E00, E11, E04, R00, R20
hair- E55, E57, E44, E47, E49, BG11, BG32, BG34, B06, B39
tail/crown- YG01, YG93, YG95, YG97, BG11, BG32, BG34, B06, B39/Y11, Y21, Y26, Y28, BV34
top/seaweed- G16, BG09, B39
starfish- YR21, YR04, YR18, E39
sand- E30, E31, E33, E34, E43, E44
water/rock- BG000, BG10, BG11, BG53/BG75, BG78, BG99
castle- BV00, BV34, BV23, BV25, BV29, C1, C5
oyster/fish- BV00, BV23, R21/Y02, RV66/V15, V17, B14/C1, C3, 100