When I was choosing stamped images to color I finally broke down and just tossed a lot of them that I was sure I never wanted to see again. Hard for me to do, too, but I kept out the best ones. Today I selected a remaining pair of topiary images and colored them with alcohol inks.

First, I cut the image with a diecut, using it half on each side so the result was narrower. I used distress ink on the image to tone down its stark whiteness. Then I backed with complementary patterned papers all banded in green to echo the bush. The stamped sentiment in brown balances the color of the pot.

I left the white background on the second tree and changed up the backing papers. I kept the green borders and changed up the sentiment. I highlighted the illustration a bit more by adding two sizes of red rhinestones where the 'fruits' were.

On the first card the illustration is up on foam tape while on the second card it is used under the sentiment.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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Today I'm featuring a couple of patriotic digitals that I colored with alcohol markers.

The first is a patchwork heart flag on which I blended three blues and three reds. I added a touch of golden yellow in the bottom of the stars. I selected three patriotic papers and bordered everything in denim blue. I added a square sentiment and popped it and the heart up on foam tape.

The second digi is a standard flag presentation. I used three reds and two blues to color it and used two yellows for the flagpole. I used only two of the patriotic papers and arranged a tab to contain the sentiment.

The illustration, with rounded corners is popped up on foam tape.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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I set aside this little guy for about two years because I wasn't sure how to color him successfully nor if he was strong enough to be a feature. Once I got the coloring done with two cool greys and just the hint of light blue I knew I had been successful on the first front.

The secret to keeping him as a feature was to stay with mostly black and white as the background papers. Upon finding just a hint of green in the dotted paper I decided to use that as the bordering color. Some blank space in the upper right called to mind to fill it with a bit of foliage.

There's another good use for the "Hello Handsome" sentiment.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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Another stamped image from a swap is featured today. I used alcohol markers and did no shading so the colors are pure and bright. I tried to keep that brightness going byusing hot pink as the bordering color to a stripe and a bright orange tone-on-tone paper.

I diecut the illustration and popped it up on foam tape over a tie of yellow twine.

As a last step I used a multitude of Liquid Pearls to fill in the cupcake sprinkles.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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This stamped illustration that I got in a swap was embossed in black which made it easy to color without fear of smearing the ink. I used alcohol markers and used two warm grey for her and two cool grey for him. Each got some brown for hair and then I decked her out in red accessories.

I used a diagonal cut for the decorative paper background. Grey doilies and pink/red hearts suit the theme beautifully and I bordered everything with maroon.

That saucy sentiment made me giggle when combined with this card front.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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I'm pretty sure these cute little bunnies are a digi stamp and I have NO idea why I waited so long to color them. Aren't they adorable?

I colored them with alcohol markers using just two tones for each bunny. Afterward, I selected some patterned papers with complementary colors to place over a salmon card base. Bordering with yellow pulled in some lightness from the illustration and some diecut swirls hold it all together.

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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Back again with some image coloring. Today the image is one I received in a swap and I colored it with alcohol markers. I wanted to skew the theme toward fall so I used an orange coloring for the bird.

I cut around the leaves on the branch and then cut the rest of the panel down to a rectangle and rounded three corners. I dropped a scrap of ColorMe paper behind the leafy area and a greeting stamped on a rusty cardstock. All these elements are bordered with a green to echo the leaves.

The background is a leftover of a project from LONG ago and I am not entirely sure which one! LOL! It is possible it is a portion of a geletain print. Then again, maybe not.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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I ran across some 'kits' of card bits and pieces that I had put together about a year ago. WHAT? Unfinished projects? Can't have that!

First, I had put together a striped background paper and a colored crayon box image out of a scrapbooking page-a-day calendar. I added a couple of strips of leftover patterned paper from other projects and a blue card base. I also had a blue diecut swirl.

I just brought them all together by using blue as a border to each piece and layering them in a pleasing arrangement.

The next kit had a red card base, checked paper, a tag, a printed circle and a diecut word. Since so much of the red base was exposed I chose blue as the bordering color. I tied red and blue twine around the base of the tag and popped the word circle up on foam tape.

Next up was a dark yellow card base with a strip of text scrapbook paper, a checked strip from the scrapbooking page-a-day calendar and one of those sundresses made from a large scalloped circle. I had run the dress through a Cuttlebug folder for texture. bordered the dress and the checked strip on dark yellow and added ribbon to the dress for straps and a belt before mounting on foam tape. I pulled a stamped sentiment out of the file and bordered it with blue.

Last project was a mix of patterned strips and a couple of blocks. I also had an illustration from the scrapbooking page-a-day calendar and a couple of diecut swirls. When I mounted the strips to form a background I ended up with that bold red stripe down the right side. I used this as a color key to breate borders for the blocks. Then I cut my illustration to the same size as the blocks and bordered it too. I pulled a stamped sentiment from the file and bordered it with the red before arranging and mounting all the elements. The sentiment and illustration are popped up on foam tape.

Just a few more sessions like this and I will have all these old 'kits' used up. THEN what will I do?

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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I have a set of clear stamps that is strictly text - individual words. These can be mounted on a single acrylic block to form sentiments and phrases. I had an idea to use multiple words to make a frame for joyous occasions.

I placed the words with three corners being made of two word phrases. After I stamped this it wasn't clear that it was not one big run-on sentence so I used markers to color block them. I also used marker to frame the center sentiment which is from a different set entirely.

On two of the cards I used two clock images to do second generation stamping in brown ink to create a background, rounded the corners and distressed the edges with old paper distress ink. The last card has no distressing or background stamping.

After that it was just the mounting. I cut a 6" paper apart so I could spread it to go to the ends of my 5x7 card base (with a thin border exposed). Then I cut and bordered an accent strip to cover this gap. I tied colored twine (on two of them), mounted the bordered sentiment on foam tape and added some bling to finish it off.

This first one I sent as a graduation card for a young lady:

And the second one was a birthday card for a man

The third one was also a birthday card but for a woman. I used a different center sentiment on this one, too.

I think this makes a good mix of masculine/feminine, non-specific celebration occasions, and vintage/modern.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

Updated: Friday, 28 June 2013 1:51 PM PDT

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Well, this has been a looooo-o-o-n-g stretch of coloring images. But today marks the end of those so we will move on to something else after today.

For this last round I stamped and colored with alcohol markers some little green frogs. I have no idea why they are wearing crowns. I think they might be companions to some other stamps with a castle, a carriage and something else I've forgotten. If so, they would represent fairy tales and this must be the frog prince.

On the first I used some distressed papers and green ribbons over a taupecard base. The sentiment suits the 'kiss the frog' under-message.

More busy papers on this one with embellishments of crocheted trim, ribbon and twine. I stamped the sentiment words onto separate strips of striped paper.

I love this fine blue dot paper and decided to add just a bit of zing with the green chevron paper. A little green twine ties into the frog and a sentiment stamped on white echoes the border on him.

I used the same papers as before but with a different balance. the same sentiment was used and this, again, uses a blue card base.

Actually, I am more than ready to move on to a new focus.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

Updated: Monday, 5 August 2013 8:58 AM PDT

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The stamp I used for today was one I got in a grab bag at Goodwill. There were few useable stamps in there as many of them were damages, poor quality foam stamps or ones with the rubber hardened on them.

I colored this up twice on plain white cardstock using alcohol markers. IFor both cards I used denim prints from a 6x6 pad, green bordering and the same sentiment stamp.

Due to the variety of papers in the 6x6 pad the cards come out looking toad-ally different! (hee hee hee)

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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This is another image that was sent to me in a swap. It was a very light impression which worked OK in the image itself but the bold border on the round image looked lame. So, after watercoloring the image, I glued three rounds of twine around the edge.

I chose a base card to pull out the colors in the sky, the dotted background that echoes the circle element, and the bottom border which picks up the green from the bamboo.

I stamped the sentiment directly onto the background paper and used one with a casual feel to suit the theme.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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The images colored today were sent to me in a swap. I took a chance on the ink they might be stamped with and did the coloring with alcohol inks. Both of the images were colored identically.

The first little guy was trimmed out and got the corners rounded. Both bordering layers also got rounded corners. I pulled soft colors into the background and added three square rhinestone brads. The sentiment was cut into a flag and bordered with the same color as the image panel.

Little Mr. Hedgehoggot trimmed with a white border this time. He got some love added in the form of strips of heart papers and a 'love' text background.

I used Stickles on the flower centers. Then I added Glossy Accents to the ladybug and the four large hearts in the center strip.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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The image I used today is small, simple and elegant. I made three color choices and trimmed each of them with a thin white border.

For the orange tulips I chose burnt orange as the bordering color and added a stripe with that as well as green and ogange. I brought the blue of the vase in with a patterned background. I used one of the wide stripes in the signature color to stamp the sentiment.

I do love me some yellow and grey. So when I pulled out the yellow tulips it seemed natural to back them with three grey elements. I used yellow for the borders and added some blue and white twine to pick up the color from the vase.

The final tulips got colored up in pink. I went with a soft pallette in vintage papers for a romantic feel. A tie of thin coral ribbon on the left provides some balance.

I think these tulips need to come out to play more often.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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A friend stamped and sent me this panel of roses to which I added rhinestone centers. I wanted them to take center stage so I bordered them and added complementary papers in a diagonal background.

A simple sentiment is bordered in the same color and popped up on foam tape.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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Other than the stamp artist's signature in the center front (which I think looks like a hairball) I like this image. I used alcohol markers for coloring and cut them out square.

the first one got a border of bling on the floral backing panel. These pull color from the colored image. The red of the floral panel is repeated in the backing papers and all elements are bordered in navy.

I used the same floral panel behind the cat but toned down the red background. The addition of a stamped tab picks up the color from the cat.

On both cards the cat image is popped up on foam tape.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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Every time I try to use this image I have a big FAIL! The image is kind of indistinct and comes out looking like it is just poorly stamped. I chose to stamp with a brown ink for a more country feel. Then I used alcohol markers to color them in bright colors.

For the first card I cut down the image, rounded the corners and distressed the edges with Distress Ink. A red patterned paper with a country lookgoes behind the rooster and is tied with some blue twine. I created a background with strips of country papers and used red bordering to tie it all together.

One of my 6x6 pads had some paper with little images printed on them in subdued line art. I used one of these as a background and colored some of the elements to match the rooster. I added a couple of patterned papers for contrast and mounted the chicken with foam tape.

This is another paper from the 6x6 pad with an element imprinted. I used a craft knife around the edge of that label and tucked the rooster image behind it. The dotted paper was just plain white dots on blue paper. I used markers to randomly color the dots to pick up colors from the rooster image.

I MAY use this rooster again sometime... maybe.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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I colored up this doll a while back and decided to have another go at it. I used alcohol inks on plain cardstock again.

I decided to whack off her topknot which I think makes her cuter. The coloring covered so many hues that it was difficult to put together a card that didn't look too busy. I accomplished this by using some colors only in bordering and letting the red become the focus.

By stamping the sentiment directly on the background I was able to eliminate one layer of detail.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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Here is another of my hand carved stamps that I found in the drawer. Simple coloring with alcohol markers gives them real impact.

I didn't want to detract from that so I played it up with graphic papers for the background. The grey lace and grey dots allow the eye to rest shile the black and white chevron and the red dot echo the colors in the image.

I decided to use the green of the leaves in the bordering for the other elements.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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Some time ago I stamped up every one of my hand carved images for a display. Then I just threw them in a drawer. When I pulled out this lighthouse I decided to use alcohol markers in very pastel colors to not overwhelm the blue ink of the impression.

I went with a taupe card base and bordering. Color blocking with squares of patterned paper provide a base for the image which is popped up on foam tape.

I stamped the sentiment ona piece of the backing color and then bordered it with the same color as the stamping in the image.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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