Remembering Aletha

This post today is part of a very special blog hop. 

We are celebrating the life of an amazingly talented artist and friend. 

The crafting community lost Aletha Jane Williams on May 5, 2019. 

Those of us that worked with her on Design Teams or on Challenge Blogs 

all agree that she was one of the sweetest and most talented women we knew. 

We are not here to mourn her loss though. 

This hop is happening in conjunction with a very special celebration 

of her life and her art that her husband Bob is holding

 in her home city of Tulsa, Oklahoma. 

Please join us in honoring our incredibly creative friend, Aletha.

When I think of Aletha I remember her amazing talent with 

design, composition, and most of all color.

That lady had such a knack for creating with color. 

Mitzi was sweet enough to create this adorable Sprite in honor of Aletha.

I'm a bit out of practice with my Copics, but I tried to color this purple passion

cutie as close to the actual flower as I could manage.  

I never really know what to say in times like this, so I will just say, 

"Thank you for your friendship and your colorful inspiration, Aletha. 

You are very missed."

Please join us on our blog hop to honor our friend, Aletha.

Alison Heikkila 

Mitzi Sato-Wiuff

Suzi Baker McKenzie

Marion Lones

Silvia Sencaka

Ann-Marie Johansson

Jane Bradshaw

Creepy Glowbugg

Donna Mundinger

Susan Salyer

Cristena Concialloni-Bagne

Jan Thompson

More Aurora Wings Springtime Beauties

Two days in a row?! Right? 

Don't get used to it, but I'll keep trying to create

and share here as often as time allows.

I have another Aurora Wings Mother's Day card to spotlight today.

I chose to use one of my favorite mermaid images,

The Princess of the Sea .

I colored this beauty using Toner Grays and Blue Green Copic markers.

Pretty much my go to coloring medium. And BGs being some of my favorite

hues in the Copic collection.  

 I used some coordinating background paper and cheesecloth

for an ocean feel. Even tossed in some sequins for sparkle,

along with Stickles for more bling factor.

My MIL loved it.

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Aurora Wings Challenge - Black, White, splash of color (optional)

Crafty Creations - Anything Goes 

Double D Challenges - Bling it Up (see mood board)

Coloring in Scrapland - Anything Goes with hand colored image 

I'm not entering these cards in any challenges, but wanted to share them.

I chose this image for Grandma's card. 

This adorable family is called, Mushrooms.

Colored with Cool Grays and Violet Copic markers.

Kept this one in Grandma's favorite color, purple.

I really like how the foiled card plays nicely with the grays.

And as usual, this is Stickled for sparkle.

Meditating Mushroom is colored in Warm Grays and Yellow Red Copics.

I cropped the image for quicker coloring and better fit on the smaller

4.5 X 5.5 card. I added some Stickles to his 'bumps', 

and then covered them with clear Nuvo drops for an interesting texture.

 Used some lace and sequins to finish this one off.

Last, is little Poppy Sprite. Also cropped.

So sweet and fun to color using Cool Gray and Red Violet Copic markers.

Grosgrain ribbon, metal embellished ribbon, and black half pearls

compliment this foiled background paper and cute image perfectly.

Thanks for dropping by today.

I'll be back tomorrow with another project for your amusement.    

    

Aurora Wings for all the mothers!!

It has been a long time since I have created using Aurora Wings images.
Far too long, but life really gets in the way of creative time if you let it.

But now that I have cracked the door on my pent up mojo, the flow of 

creativity is starting to pour out. 

I've been wanting to join in on some challenges, and was inspired by the 

current challenge AW theme of black, white, and a splash of (optional)color.

I decided to make all five of my Mother's Day cards using Aurora Wings 

images in this theme.

First up is the adorable Jasmine Sprite.

With so many cards to make, I decided to crop the images, which

also helps to create more visual impact on the smaller cards. 

Plus, it doesn't take as long to color the images.  

I kept it pretty simple with Copic coloring, some coordinating background paper,

and a big fancy ribbon. Added some Stickles for some sparkle, too.

I did make five cards to give away, but this one was one of my favorites,

so I held onto it. Good thing too, since it was the ONLY Mother's day 

card I received. Don't even get me started...

I'll be back tomorrow with another Mother's Day card.

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Aurora Wings Challenge Blog- Black and White with optional color

Lemon Shortbread challenge - Anything Goes

Tuesday Throwdown - Crop your image

Addicted to Stamps - Ribbons Galore

Corrosive Challenge - Anything Goes

Stamping Sensations - Close to Nature

Under the Sea with Aurora Wings

Today is the start of a new challenge theme at 

the Aurora Wings challenge blog.

The theme is "Under the Sea", which sounds wonderful 

since it's 105 degrees outside right now.

What could possibly be better than a seahorse?
Two seahorses!!

I had one of these lovelies colored up in the jewel tones of purple, 

blue green, and yellow green. Then I thought this horsey needed an 

unconventional color scheme like pink and gold. WAY outside 

of my usual coloring comfort zone, but I think it works. 

I scored some new bits and pieces of ephemera that were perfect

for this project. I used a journaling card for my background. I think it's from

7 Gypsies. I paired it up with some die cuts and a bit of the highly coveted

Graphic 45 Voyage Beneath the Sea paper.

This gorgeous image is available in the Aurora Wings shop.

This version was created using the exact same embellishments,

but with the journal card in a different color to match my seahorse. 

Same image, done very differently.
Which is your favorite?

Thanks for stopping by today.
Be sure to stop by the challenge blog for lots of deep sea inspiration.
We also have a very interactive facebook page to share your makes and
find more inspiration here. 

Aurora Wings new release

No, I didn't actually fall off the face of the earth.

I have been tending to my new ailment; carpal tunnel syndrome.

Kind of an artist's worst nightmare, not to mention a frequent crafter's

worst worst nightmare as well. 

I love my new job where I work with small hand tools and 

use my very own high powered microscope. The down side is that my

awesome new job has caused a possibly preexisting condition to rear it's

fugly head and leave me in pain and frustration.

BUT, I put my big girl panties on and keep on truckin'.

Coloring and creating just takes me even longer than usual and has forced me to

work on my very poor time management skills. 

I honestly just wanted to cry (and I did) when I got diagnosed, but life goes on.

And I know so many have so much worse to deal with, so no whining here.

Onward and upward.

Mitzi has come out with some incredible new images, and I just couldn't resist 

giving the adorable little Lupine Sprite a new paint job.

Such a sweetie!

I went with my usual vibrant color scheme, and even added some polka dots

to her little face for more interest. I usually don't deviate from Mitzi's original

images, but felt like being a rebel this time out.

I added some Rock Candy distress glitter to her petals, but am not loving

how it came out. Stickles may have been a better choice for this application,

but still overall pretty pleased with myself on this card.

I always need "Thinking of You" cards for friends and family, so this

one is perfect for my stash of cards. 

Be sure to take advantage of the generous offer Mitzi has for this release.

Check out the newbies and all the other fabulous images at the

Aurora Wings Digi Shop.
And if you're looking for some inspiration, check out the incredible
inspiration samples the Aurora Wings DTs have created here.

Thanks for stopping by today!! 

Aurora Wings: #46 Sketch Challenge

Just wanted to pop in quickly today with my card for the new theme at 

Aurora Wings Challenge Blog.

The theme is actually a sketch, which I have decided I am rather fond of.

I struggle so  much with the layout of a card, it's nice to have the guess work

taken out for me with a sketch.

I decided to use the sweet Pierrot Sprite for the card.

Such an adorable and painfully sweet image.

Great for so many sentiments, but unfortunately

it is perfect for a sympathy card. I have the need 

for a few of those this month.

Thanks for dropping by today.

Be sure to pop by the challenge blog and check out the fun and inspiring sketch,

along with all of the fabulous DT samples.

  

Ch.44 Aurora Wings - Anything Goes

Good morning!!
I am here today to share my card for the new challenge theme at
Aurora Wings Challenge Blog.
The theme is, 'Anything Goes', which you would think would be
pretty easy. No rules, just us any Aurora Wings image.
That's like choosing your favorite child. Mitzi has created so many
adorable, beautiful, and whimsical images, it is so hard to choose
just one.

I managed to finally decide on using one of the newer Fruit Sprites, 

Cherry Sprite.

Cherry Sprite is adorable, and so very perfect for
Grandma's Birthday card. 

I colored her up in pinks and fuchsias, as I thought red would be too obvious.

I splattered some Worn Lipstick distress ink and some Perfect Pearls Mist

in Biscotti on the background paper to sort of bring everything together.

I also used some fabric trim for a bit of texture and interest.

And I Stickled the heck out of her dress. She is a Sprite after all. 

And Sprites must 

SPARKLE!! 

Thanks so much for stopping by today.

Be sure to stop by the Aurora Wings Challenge Blog for more

inspiration and eye candy from the talented design team. 

Aurora Wings B+W+ One Color

The new challenge at Aurora Wings begins today.

The new theme is 

Black, White, and One Color.   

I struggled a bit at first because I always think of vibrant colors when 

I think of Aurora Wings images. I ended up going with a color I don't

always use and picked my Blue Violet Copics as my color choice.

I typically reach for Yellow Greens, Violets, and Red Voilets, so this

was a nice departure for me.     

I chose to work with a cropped version of 

Crimson Wings. I love this image, but found it a bit

intimidating with all of her beautiful details. I find a cropped

version to be less intimidating and less difficult to work

into a card design. I usually print out my images quite large (4" x 6")

so I can see them and work with them easier. Then I have a hard time 

making a card smaller than 5" x 7". I'm sure I make it way more 

complicated than it actually is, but I am very happy with how the

cropped versions are working for me. Just another perk to using digi

images. Such versatility in sizing and cropping. 

Once I had chosen my one color, I used my Neutral Grays to 

color in the hair and shade the skin tones. Then, I had to come up

with a complimentary paper. Yikes! I lucked out and pulled out

an older paper pad from Me and My Big Ideas of black and white papers.

I colored the mainly gray scale background paper using BV Copics 

to make it all cohesive. I popped some rarely used Dark Blue Stickles

into the middle of the flowers to add some bling. I have to have some bling

ya know. Then I watched three different You Tube videos on how to use my

Bow Easy before I mastered that bow. Geesh! I feel so dense and 'sausage-fingery'

sometimes! But in the end I persevered and a little bow was born. 

Be sure to pop over to the AW challenge blog and see how the other talented

DT members interpreted this fun and inspiring challenge.      

Aurora Wings CAS

Today is the start of a new challenge at Aurora Wings.

The new theme is Clean And Simple (CAS).

Honestly, this is my preferred way of creating with the gorgeous

images of Aurora Wings. Once I finish coloring an image, I am usually at

 a loss as to how to assemble a card around it's detailed beauty without

detracting from it.

I had a bit of an epiphany, and edited some of the more involved images

using Gimp. I chose the focal point I wanted to highlight and cropped the image.

Sometimes I am intimidated by the images with so much detail that coloring

seems like a never ending process. It usually takes me at least an hour (usually longer)

to color an image. So, the thought of coloring one image for hours seems a bit daunting.  

I love the Santa Muerte image, but I have always been too scared to try and do it

justice with my coloring. I found the face to be the most beautiful part, so I cropped her

face to give me the impact I needed for a perfect CAS card.  

I still toiled over which colors to use and how to use them, but it

took me less than two hours to create this entire card, which is pretty good for me. 

 I am actually quite pleased with how this worked out and am eager to 

make more CAS cards using cropped Aurora Wings images.

I want to use the dragon from the 'Dragon Lore' image next.

Keep an eye out for that one. 

Be sure to stop by the Aurora Wings challenge blog to see all of the 

inspiring CAS samples the design team has created for this theme. 

They're stunning!

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:
Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes   
Our Crafty Corner - Anything Goes 
Creatalicious Challenges - Anything Goes + no dp papers
Dark'n'Daring - Anything Goes
613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes
Stamping Sensations - Anything Goes

Finally! A mushroom I can love!

As far as eating mushrooms go, I am not a fan.

Maybe it's the texture, maybe it's the flavor. 

Either way, I can do without them.

Unless...

It's a Mushroom Flower Sprite from Aurora Wings!! 

Mitzi has done it again and created an adorable new sprite image.

The very second I saw her, I knew she was destined to adorn my 

Mother's Day cards this year. 

But then I thought, what about foregoing the standard card

and creating a little gift instead?

My family has enough of my handmade cards to last them forever, 

but maybe a small mixed media canvas would be a nice change of pace. 

I began with a 4"x 5" small canvas, painted it using DecoArt chalk paint in 

the Timeless shade, and then used the Tim Holtz Gothic stencil to add some

Finnabair Texture Paste in Platinum Crackle.

I colored this Mushroom Flower Sprite with my Grandma in mind,

using RV Copics. I added some Stickles for sparkle and interest.

I used a Spellbinders oval and Elegant oval to ground my image.

Also decked out in some Stickles magic. Sprites need their sparkle.

Grandma loves flowers, so I broke out my stash of paper

flowers, and even popped a tiny mushroom in for fun.

I added a lovely pearl stick pin and some pearl and gold

dew drops for a bit of fancy decadence. Nothing is too good

for this special lady. I just know she's going to love it.  

I didn't want to start a fight over special gifts, so I made another

canvas for my Mother in Law. This one is a little different in that 

I used a 4" x 4" canvas, but stayed with the same basic background and

textures as the first one. 

I used BG and YG Copics for this color scheme.

I like to mix things up a bit with non-traditional colors.

And so far I have yet to color one of these Aurora Wings Sprites    

using flesh tones on the skin. Just one of my quirks when

it comes to little magical  creatures.

I used a different embellishment for height,

but still popped a sweet little mushy in there to keep everyone happy.  

This adorable little mushy is available today in the 

Aurora Wings shops.

To see more inspiring Mushroom Sprite projects be sure to stop by the  

Aurora Wings Showcase blog.

Thanks for dropping by today.

I'd love to enter these canvases in the following challenges:

Little Miss Muffet challenges - Anything Goes 

Southern Girls Challenge - 133 Texture

Inspiration Destination - Anything Goes 

Mod Squad challenge - Mother's Day

The Paper Shelter - #246 Pearls

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge  - Anything Goes

Altered Eclectics - Anything Goes mixed media

Crafting in a Beautiful Mess - Anything Goes 

Creative Artiste Challenge - Anything Goes -using flowers

Jo's Scrap Shack - Mother's Day

April Showers Bring Many Flowers

Now that California has finally gotten a considerable amount of rain

my garden is in full bloom! Sadly, this is the only Iris plant of mine to 

produce flowers so far, but I'll gladly take what I can get.

In keeping with the flowery theme, the new challenge at Aurora Wings is

Say it with Flowers.

You really can't go wrong there. Mitzi's artwork is full of delicious

flowers of all kinds. Take your pick!    

Since I am still working on the wedding album for my Aunt and Uncle, 

I decided to go with the new hibiscus set available in the Aurora Wings Etsy shop. 

It's almost like Mitzi created these gorgeous flowers especially for this Hawaiian wedding.

They are perfect!  

This border design is probably my favorite of the four images

offered in this set.  

How cool to have a ukulele player and a conch blowing officiant

presiding over your wedding! Can't get much more Hawaiian than that. 

This cluster of three hibiscus is just what this page needed.

Honestly, the hardest part of coloring these flowers was choosing

the color scheme. There were so many options, but I tried to stay true

to the Hawaiian Hibiscus colors. I started off with a hot pink flower with a bright

yellow edge, but was unable to get the blend to work. I'm kind of glad now,

as I'm not sure that combo would have worked well with these photos.

Everything happens for a reason, right?    

Thanks for stopping by today.

I hope you'll take a moment to drop by the Aurora Wings challenge blog

and check out the flowery feast the DT have created featuring various

flower inspired projects showcasing Mitzi's gorgeous images. 

Mahalo!

Still pluggin' away...

Yup, I'm still working on the wedding album I started last year

for my Aunt and Uncle.

Slow and steady wins the race, right? 

I should have this album finished by their third anniversary if

I keep at it. That's September of this year. 

I had better not put it away or I'll forget I'm working on it, again. 

It's a good thing the new challenge at the Aurora Wings Challenge blog is

Anything Goes.

In keeping with the Hawaiian/ocean theme I have used the adorable

Sea Turtle Kiss image from Aurora Wings.

I decided to crop the image to keep it small enough to fit into the layout,

and large enough to color it well with my aging eyeballs.

Reader glasses are my saving grace when it comes to coloring images

these days.

Using the same image, I separated the sea turtles and used them 

by themselves for added interest and to make the two pages cohesive.

I added lots of circle punches to give the feeling of bubbles, and some

branch die cuts to mimic coral. I have been collecting a TON of

charms and brads and schtuff for this project, and I finally managed to 

work in one of the fish charms as a cute dangle from the sentiment tag.

I'm trying to keep the dimensions to a minimum or the book will never 

close properly.

That's going to do it for me today. 

I hope you'll pop by the challenge blog and check out all of the 

incredible inspiration pieces my DT sisters have created for this

new Anything Goes challenge.