Hello my masked, staying home, lysol wiped friends! These are CRAZY times without a doubt, but there is always something positive to find in any situation. My positive is getting more crafting time! Today is the new My Favorite Things release and I was so excited to play with two of the new stamp sets. I have a card to share with you using Always Bring A Smile and another slim-line card using Hanging With My Gnomies. Can I just say right up front that I have no idea what a Gnomie is or why they are suddenly popular in the stamping world, BUT I absolutely adore them. I love elves and collect Christmas ones and I played with a green haired troll a lot as a child, so these are definitely favorites of mine and I'm glad they have become popular!
Here is an image of Always Bring a Smile illustrated by Stacey Yacula. This might be my favorite set of her's of all time as I adore mushrooms and these images are just SO cute!
Here is my card I made using the set called Have A Relaxing Day:
I started by painting the background with Tonic Shimmer Powder in Atlantis Burst. Have I mentioned how much I love that stuff yet? Look at the top of the card where the splotch of colors are - THAT is why I love it. You get these bursts of multiple colors. I used it more as a wash here though so it's not that intense. I also die-cut some grass using the Grassy Fields dies and a white frame using the A2 Rectangle Frames dies (love this die set). I overlapped two grass stripes over the background and added the frame around it. All of that was attached to a white card base.
I stamped the images from the Always Bring A Smile stamp set with MFT Natural Ink. Let me remind you if you don't usually read my blog that I use this ink for every single thing I stamp. No matter what other people tell you, THIS is the sweet spot ink for no-line stamping. It works so well and doesn't smear with ANY coloring medium and it is just the right shade to show up enough to color, but not to show much when colored over. Ok, infomercial done. I colored all of the images in with Copics and colored pencils. I used Copics just for the large mushroom, but then added shading to it with pencils (because I simply can't resist). I attached the images to the card front tucking the plants under the grassy edge. I stamped the sentiment with white embossing powder on the mushroom using my Misti and slightly bending it - worked like a charm!
This stamp set Hanging With My Gnomies is illustrated by Birdie Brown. She is my other favorite illustrator at MFT. I can't get enough of her images and THIS STAMP SET is so DANG CUTE that I have to use ALL CAPS when describing IT. I mean, that little house.....couldn't WAIT TO COLOR THESE CUTE IMAGES!!!!
I made the white base of this card my typical slim-line card size (8.5" wide x 3.5" tall). I then stamped all of the images on this piece with MFT Natural Ink (see above for infomercial). I love how you can overlap images for a one layer card and when you color, the overlapping doesn't really show (((unless you look really close, so please don't))). I attached the white card base to Tangy Orange Cardstock and cut it just big enough to add a 1/8" edge to each side. I also made a card base with this cardstock. My card ended up being a little larger than my usual slim-line cards because of the mat, but I just thought it needed it.
I colored the images in with Copics first and then with colored pencils send to add lots of shading and depth that I can never seem to get with Copics. I certainly haven't mastered them! Pencils just give me what I love and I can't resist using them no matter what color medium I am using.
I used pencils for the ground in a warm gray and then used a very light blue Copic for the sky, but it is so light you can't even see it in the photo! I stamped the sentiment with SSS Navy Blue embossing powder on the top of the card.
That's it for today. I didn't get a "one stamp, five ways" post done today, but I am hoping to do one with BOTH of these stamp sets for previously mentioned reasons (see caps). If you want to get emails when I post my one stamp, five ways post, you can click on the link on the top left side of my blog. Thanks so much for visiting today. I hope you are enjoying this MFT New Release! Suzy
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Adorable cards, Suzy!
Posted by: Marsha Freer | May 05, 2020 at 07:47 AM
Cute gnome cards today!
Posted by: Donna Gourley | May 05, 2020 at 07:55 AM
Great cards. Loving the colours. Thank you for sharing.
Posted by: Jody V | May 05, 2020 at 08:04 AM
Beautiful work; thank you for sharing!
Posted by: Kristi H. | May 05, 2020 at 09:08 AM
Absolutely gorgeous. I am so jealous of your no line coloring. Thanks for sharing your talent!
Posted by: April Davis | May 05, 2020 at 09:12 AM
Pretty & such wonderful coloring. I need coloring lessons from you.
Melissa
"Sunshine HoneyBee"
Posted by: Sunshine HoneyBee | May 05, 2020 at 09:37 AM
Super cute relaxing scene... but I need to know more about that color burst! WOW I love that look. Sweetest gnomes ever.
Posted by: Anne Sturgeon | May 05, 2020 at 09:53 AM
Suzy, I love your style. This card is beautiful, the colors are gorgeous and I like that you did a slim line card for this stamp, it suits it so well. Thank you for the ideas and you just made my job of picking which sets to buy first that much harder!
Posted by: Debbie Parke | May 05, 2020 at 10:29 AM
Love the look the shimmer powder gives your sky! Your coloring on both colors is so wonderfully done. Love the no line look and all the details your pencil work gives this cuties!
Posted by: Paula Haller | May 05, 2020 at 11:47 AM
Nice look to the coloring. I like the use of the longer card to create more space for the scene.
Posted by: Scraporcraft | May 05, 2020 at 12:46 PM
Fabulous cards and spectacular colouring! I love the sentiment on the toadstool in the first card!
Posted by: Stacey Kowbel | May 05, 2020 at 02:22 PM
Great job on the cards, love your colouring how you built the scenes. Thanks for sharing.
Posted by: Barbara Matthews | May 05, 2020 at 03:24 PM
Suzy, your cards are so cute! I love the no-line coloring!
Posted by: Holly Jackson | May 05, 2020 at 03:49 PM
Incredible coloring and scene. Fantastic cards!
Posted by: Dana M | May 05, 2020 at 03:59 PM
OMG! The way you colored those GNOMES! WOW WOW WOW
Posted by: Meghan Kennihan | May 05, 2020 at 05:35 PM
Great cards!Amazing!
Posted by: Debby Green | May 05, 2020 at 06:18 PM
Both cards are adorable and so beautifully colored! Great job!
Posted by: Shirley N | May 05, 2020 at 06:25 PM
Amazing coloring! Such wonderful cards!
Posted by: Heidi Rees | May 05, 2020 at 06:27 PM
Such adorable cards. Wonderful colors.
Thanks so much for sharing...
Posted by: Jeanne Beam | May 05, 2020 at 06:29 PM
Super cute set of cards!
Posted by: Rosemary D | May 05, 2020 at 08:55 PM
That gnome card is totally awesome! It's perfect!!
Posted by: Emma Sleppy | May 05, 2020 at 09:37 PM
Charming scenes with these adorable images! Love the scene you created with the darling animals and the mushrooms! Really sweet gnome card too! Your coloring is awesome!
Posted by: Denise Bryant | May 06, 2020 at 12:09 AM
Going gaga over your beautiful coloring!! Thanks for the great inspiration
Posted by: Subhashini S | May 06, 2020 at 12:10 AM
Your coloring is awesome. The gnomes are so adorable.
Posted by: Chandhini | May 06, 2020 at 12:24 AM
Your cards are a work of art. I love the vibrancy in the gnomes card.
Posted by: Deepa Lakshman | May 06, 2020 at 03:39 AM