Self Challenge

Monday Mojo – Reindeer Love

Erika L Hayes1 Comment

Reindeer Loves Poinsettias

Sometimes when I get a little stuck on what to use I just stamp many images out from my “recent purchases” basket and just color them in different mediums. Copic Markers, Color Pencils, or watercolor are my usual go to for this kind of project. Then I will put them in baggies and slip them in the stamp sleeve for future use or reference.

That is how this card was started. My Favorite Things order was in the “recent purchases” basket and I couldn’t wait to color the poinsettia so I had the previous night colored them using my Faber Castelle Polychromo Pencils. In the morning I had decided to use the Reindeer Love (MSTN-011). I used my Copics as I was in a marker mood.

One of the things I love when companies put out challenges that I have those ideas knocking around in my brain. When these ideas are milling around I tend to have the OHHH I know I can use Sparkle or I can use an interactive die. Often marrying many challenges unintentionally. This particular card was born from this process. It met two challenges but also a personal challenge. (I keep a list of ideas of things to try when I am in a rut.) The challenges were 1. Simon Says Stamps (Sparkle) 2. My Favorite Things (Out of the Box – Winter Scene) and my personal list (Mix Coloring Mediums)

I still had the Pretty Poinsettia (DBD-002) on my desk while coloring the Reindeer Love (MSTN-011) and it surprised me how much I liked the two styles together. Not only are they pretty different styles but they also were colored with different medium. The be Merry die (MFT-2383) was already cut in white and sparkle so I went with it. I added some fun color cardstock Next thing I realized is I had hit on three challenges and I had a card done! Mojo returned!

Artistro Paint Marker Pen: Extra Fine Point

All this to tell you that just reading challenges can help you find a missing mojo.

I also wanted to point out that the sentiment on the card has snow which was done with at fantastic white paint pen.

(Link on photo)

OH yeah one more thing. I used the Outside the Box Level Up Set for the Card (MFT-1874) but replaced the backing of the card with the new Elegant Stitched STAX (MFT2398) and really loved how it looks. All the items with the item number is new from My Favorite Things Septement release – Check it out because it is a fantastic release.

My Favorite Things New Collection

FYI don’t miss out on Spellbinders Current Sale. There are some really awesome deals

Spellbinders Fall Sale

STAMPtember is almost done and I should have a lot of fun new goodies to play with I did link it here because there are a few left of some of the items. Most are sold out.

Have a crafty week my friends I will be back soon with more.

Christmas in August? Why not?

Erika L Hayes1 Comment

Well, I am always trying to make Christmas cards not just in July and December. If I make just 10 cards a month, that’s 120 Christmas cards by December. I don’t always get 10 a month done, but it’s a fun goal to work toward. The thing is, you CAN’T beat yourself up if you only get one… or NONE done for your month. It’s about taking some of the stress off of you in that month of busy busy busyness.

I also love the July releases from Spellbinders. I can’t wait to get my next Christmas card made with the adorable mailbox sets. SOOO cute.

I think maybe I need to have that same goal for birthday cards, or I could say 10 Christmas every other month and 10 Birthday every other month. Another way could be to spilt it 5/5 and end up with 60 Christmas and 60 birthday cards by the end of the year. With that many cards, you can give some away as gifts!!!

thanks for stopping by

e

Mojo Challenge Make for Merry Little Birds

Erika L Hayes1 Comment

I had no mojo at all a few days ago and decided I need to push past this! Sometimes you just gotta make something to get the creative mojo flowing. You may hate what you create, or you may find you do some decent work when you are working through your block. I keep a person challenge list just for these moments to help me get off my booty and create.

I opened the random generator and gave it a spin. It came back with thirty-nine. I go to my handy dandy list and the challenge is a color challenge. Green, Grey, Pink, and Black. This is the result. I am happy with how it came out. I will say, adding the little texture with the buffalo check was what really brought it together.

I so enjoyed making this card and I feel that pulled off the challenge.

A note on my Mojo Maker list: when I finish a challenge like this one, I replace it with a new one of a like kind. This is how you keep your list 1. current with new supplies and color combos or whatever, 2. Have a mojo maker list that you can work from. For example, the new one I put in slot thirty-nine is to use brown as a focus color (but not coffee allowed).

No matter what always remember, the more you create, the more creative you will be. Avoiding a block or lack of mojo only leads to less creating. Please keep making even if you hate it. As my husband says, “they can’t all be your favorites”

school buddies
Keep Crafting! Blessings, Erika

A Spellbinder Story

Erika L Hayes1 Comment
Spellbinders Non-Traditional Fall Colors

I am that girl that likes to make seasonal cards with non-traditional colors. I like traditional colors but sometimes in the middle of the red and green season, or orange, brown and read seasons I like to mix it up. That is how this card came to be. I had been working on a Christmas card and thought I wonder how these colors would play on a fall card.

I grabbed my new Spellbinders Fall Leaves and my super skinny alphabet and went to work. Gotta say, I don’t hate it. I stacked the white on white leaves to give them pop and really loved the look. I would also like to add, Spellbinders makes amazing dies. They cut beautifully and score when they are supposed to score and are the highest quality I have used in a long time!

Now for the story. At one time I worked as a concept designer at Fun Stampers Journey, and then they were owned by the same investment company and Spellbinders warehouse was right next to ours. In fact, they kind of shared a space in that when I walked to the photo/video production for something we cut through part of Spellbinders warehouse. I wasn’t a fan of the “look” of the intricate designs that seemed to be Spellbinders “look”. I would like a few things now and again, but I wouldn’t say Spellbinders was a go to company for me.

I love that not only do we change as artist, but bless those companies that keep up with trends and produce the things we really want. Spellbinders is one of those companies for me. About a year ago, I started noticing some super cute stuff coming out from Spellbinders. I started looking for the new releases at my local store (Scraps of Love). They would show me the cute samples that had been made and I kinda loved them. Soon, I found myself purchasing more and more Spellbinders and then my husband gave me a Glimmer Hot Foil System and I was HOOKED!

I have been bound by Spellbinders! I purchase often from them and look forward to the next release. They still carry some of the dies and products that kept me away from them for a long time, but now I see the artistry in those dies.

This story is more to share that just because a company didn’t appeal to you before, doesn’t mean you should count them out! You change as an artist and so do companies looking to find a place in a very competitive market. I am glad I gave Spellbinders a second chance because they have upped the game and thus making me do the same!

Just like this card, I took a new look at fall colors and found I really liked how these cool colors played with the fall leaves. I also took a new look at a company I had previously seen as “not my style” and found so many items I loved as they like me have grown and changed over the years.

Craft Blessings My Friends

Erika

Koi, Oh Koi – Mix it up with multiple stamp sets

Erika L Hayes1 Comment
Stamps – Hero Arts -Lotus Flower, Koi Fish – Altenew Inks – Hero Arts ,Catherine Pooler, Tim Holtz, Copic Markers and Polychoromos colored pencils; Stencil – My Favorite Things

Have you ever had a moment when you get a new stamp set that you say, “Oh, Boy, I know what I want to do with that!” I love how this card did that!

I had two stamp sets show up on the same day and I had one of those moments. I opened my happy mail and set them out on my desk so I could put them in the storage sleeves and these two stamp sets, from Hero Arts and Altenew, popped an idea into my mind and Koi, oh Koi did I love it.

I did ink over the image of the koi to give it a look of being underwater. I thought it came out great when I used the “Pool” stencil from MFT to give the water a look of motion. Simply using an ink that is slightly lighter (TH Tumbled Glass) over the new Catherine Pooler Cummerbund ink that I used with the stencil. I did put the ink over the image of the koi. (Which made me nervous– but hey, it’s only paper right.)

It’s sometimes hard to imagine mixing stamp sets and stamp sets from different companies even more so when it comes to images. I try to stretch my stamps by mixing them with not only images from within a company line but look outside the company as well. In this example, it worked great.

I encourage you to make something and combine many companies images. It is fun and a great challenge.

Blessings,

Erika