Thursday, August 30, 2012

Goodbye Winter, hello spring.

This week I coloured  The Greeting Farm's Blush Bettie three times - the first one I didn't like her hair then I had a bit of a whoops with a marker clean across the finished Bettie, so for my third attempt I thought I would make a very clean and simple card and have a go at doing some grass and a bit of blue background wash.  Here is my CAS Bettie
 
I think she is a rather sweet way to say good bye to Winter this week as she looks like she's at a Spring BBQ.
Blush Bettie is coloured with these copics-
Skin E50, E51, E53 and E93.
Hair C1, C5, C7, C9.
Clothes R81, R83 and R85
Shadow BV0000 and BV00
Sky B0000 and 0
Grass YG00, YG03, YG06 and 0

Bettie, copics and x-press it blending card are all available over at the Mad for Markers Store.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Copic Skin

Hi all,
I've been playing around with different skin colours and have decided to share that with you today.  Some of them I will not use again  but others I quite like so I am glad I have this page as a reference.  If you click on the picture you will be able to see which copics I used.  I didn't add blush and some of them are not very well blended but you get the idea.






Sammi over at Mad for Markers has just started an online copic colouring club you can check out the details here
If you have any other skin colour combos you think I should try let me know.
Thanks
Gretchen

P.S.  Don't forget to enter in the Mad for Markers August Challenge - Anything Goes

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Sunday reminds me of...

Click to view full size image

When I saw The Greeting Farm image Sunday he reminded me of Ian Somerhalder from Vampire Diaries...yes I am a little bit obsessed with Vampire Diaries okay okay I am a lot obsessed with Vampire Diaries.  So when I coloured up  Sunday I coloured him to look a little like Damon (Ian)with the whole Vampire Diaries feel.  Here is my card


I used the Greeting Farm stamp Sunday coloured with these copics
Skin E50, E51, E53
Hair, Shirts, Shoes & Belt buckle C1 C3, C5, C7, C9
Jeans and Scarf  B32, B34, B37

All available from Mad for Markers.  Don't forget to join in Mad for Markers August Challenge it's Anything Goes.  I look forward to seeing your creations.

And just in case you missed him the first time.  Don't worry he isn't just a pretty face he also has the IS foundation ( a foundation that has set out to empower, educate and collaborate with people and projects to positively impact the planet and its creatures). 
Click to view full size image
Thanks for visiting.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Caramel popcorn


Today I thought I'd share a recipe.  Why?  Just for a change and because I love to bake although I don't know if this technically counts as baking! 

When I was a kid my Mum would make us caramel popcorn for movie night it was so delicious.  She no longer has the recipe and over the years I have tried several recipes but none measured up until I tried this amazing recipe I pinned from A Farmgirl's Dabbles.  Here is my version of the recipe:


Caramel Popcorn (oven baked) 


 Ingredients
1c  unpopped popping corn
1c  butter
2c  brown sugar (firmly packed)
1/2c  glucose syrup
1/2tsp  baking soda





Preheat oven to 120 degrees celsius
Pop the popping corn and spread thinly over two baking trays.

Combine the  butter, brown sugar and glucose syrup in a saucepan and put over medium heat until sugar dissolves.  Then boil for around 5 minutes (until caramel reaches firm ball stage).

Remove from heat and add in the baking soda (the caramel will bubble up so be careful).

Pour caramel over popcorn and mix so popcorn is evenly coated.  Place in the oven for 45 minutes stir the popcorn and caramel every 15 minutes to ensure that your popcorn remains evenly coated.
Popcorn can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week (if it lasts that long).

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

A kid of the 80's


Saturated canary's image Pink reminds me of the 80's.  I turned 13 in 1989 and I wish my clothes were this cool then.   You know you were a kid of the 80's if:
  • You were a fan of Punky Brewster - I wanted a bed just like hers.
  • You owned a pair of jelly shoes.
  • You played Michael Jackson's Thriller on vinyl.
  • You ever used puff paint on a t-shirt.
  • You had a cabbage patch doll.
  • You understand the phrase "whatchoo talkin about Willis"
  • You remember Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen as toddlers
  • You had a crush on one of the Coreys or both!
  • You know who Rainbow Brite is.
  • You watched Back to the Future, ET and Annie when they first came out.
  • You pretended to be a BMX bandit with your friends.
  • You watched the Henderson Kids and Secret Valley.
Enough of the trip down memory lane. 
I have run out of my copic blender pen so there are lots of little parts of this image that still need cleaning up.  I also now realise how much I use my blender 0 marker.  Pink was coloured with these copic markers:

Hair E50, E51, E53, YR20, YR21
Skin E50, E51, E53
Clothes RV04, RV02, RV00, RV0000   C9, C7, C5 and C3
Shadows BV00
           


Don't forget to enter Mad for Markers August Challenge - Anything Goes.
What else do you remember from the 80's?

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Happy 3rd Birthday Nell


Happy Birthday Nell
On the 1st of August our youngest daughter Nell turned 3.  I can't believe she is 3 already.  She has a really funny sense of humour.  One of Nell's favourite things is to spin I have no idea how she does it but she spins and spins for ages and then stops and walks in a straight line not something I could do.  She does have amazing motor skills and coordination, unlike me. 


She requested a fairy cake for her birthday so when I saw this spinning fairy one of the Five Little Fairies over at Mo's Digital Pencil it was a perfect fit.

I used these Copics (all available at Mad for Markers)
Skin E50, E51, E53 and E93
Clothes R81, R83, R85
Wings RV04, RV02
Crown and Wand YR20, YR21
Hair  YR21, E35, E50, E51, E53 (I think)
Crown YR20 and YR21
Spicas - pink, blossom, gold and buttermilk.

I wanted the ribbon to look like the ribbons on ballet shoes just thrown over.  I like how it turned out and Nell did too. 

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Roller Mae

When I was a kid I used to roller skate all the time....and this year I bought a pair of roller skates and have skated a few times.  So when I saw the digital image Roller Mae over at Some Odd Girl I just had to have her...if only I looked this cool roller skating, perhaps I did when I was 15... but I doubt it. 
Why is it when you photograph your creations mistakes seem more obvious...Mae's jeans need much more blending.  I used Roller Mae to personalise a little notebook of mine and here it is
Roller Mae was coloured with the following copic markers all available at Mad for Markers (M4M)
Skin E50, E51, E53, E93
Hair YR21, E50, E51, E53
Clothes and skates C1, C2, C3, C5, C7, C9, B32, B34, B37, RV00, RV02, Rv04
Shadows BV0000 and BV00.

I also used Pink Spica which is also available at M4M.  Sammi also stocks Some Odd Girl stamps.  Don't forget about Mad for Markers  August Challenge which starts Monday.

Did you used to roller skate?  Do you roller skate now?  Or am I a little peculiar?
Thanks for visiting
Gretchen