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.    

    

Debbie Downer

Mother's Day just isn't what it used to be since my Mother died.

It's been three years and I felt like I was going to okay, but I wasn't.

I spent time making Mother's Day cards and gifts for the wonderful and loving

women in my life, but when Sunday morning came around, I found myself

to be melancholy, foul tempered, and even inconsolable at one point. 

Man, I hate that. I hate being such a Debbie Downer. It's really not my style.

But it happened, and it will probably happen again next year.

So I decided to drown my sorrows in my art journal.

I began with two Stampotique stamps I have yet to ink up yet,

'Tetewea and L'il Tatawea'.  

They remind me of a mother and daughter, so I felt they were fitting.

And my Mom and I are rather dark and weird, so it works.

I colored Tetewea in sepia/YR Copic tones to give the feeling of 

an image from the past. I used a frame die cut and doodled on it using

 a Sakura Stardust Gelly Roll pen.  

Then I did a bit of journaling. Nothing too deep,

but it gets the point across that I miss my mom. A lot.

I gave L'il Tatawea red hair like mine, and colored her to match those

hideous background papers I was trying to use up. I actually like the way

they all work together now in this layout.

Lastly, I stamped out 'Daniel's Hearts', colored them using

red and black Copics, and then fussy cut them all out to scatter

around the layout to covey all the love that is still there between us.   

I'd love to enter this in the following challenges:

Stampotique Designer's Challenge -SDC243 Motherly Love

The Dark Attic Challenges - Anything Goes

Craft Your Passion challenges - 311 Anything Goes

Left of Center - Witches or LOC (mine is more LOC)

Polkadoodle - Things with Wings

  

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

Mother's Day blahs

Had a case of the blahs for the past few weeks.

A little too early for PMS, and I wish our new puppy

liked me more than my husband, but not enough to be so irritable.

And weepy. Uncontrolled, unannounced, and untimely, tears.

Fuck. Mother's Day is coming.

This will be the second Mother's Day without my mom.

It's just been a little over a year since she passed away.

Time flies. And we all get older. Fuck.

I still have two awesome Mother-in-Laws, and an incredibly

vibrant Grandma to appreciate this holiday. So stop yer cryin"!

Since I am such a fan of these adorable little guys, 

and as are most ladies, a fan of flowers, it seemed only fitting

to use at least one of Aurora Wings' Flower Sprites on a Mother's Day card.

Grandma has probably ten (or more) thriving, and flowering orchids at her house.

She has the gift of a really green thumb. She and Grandpa ran their own floral

business in Escalon, CA way back in the day. Total no-brainer to use the fabulous

Orchid Sprite from Aurora Wings. Grandma loved the card!! 

Another of my favorite artists, Torico of Birdie Brown drew up this cutie.

Unfortunately she no longer sells her images as digis, but she currently 

designs for My Favorite Things.  

I tried a new way of shading/coloring. I was trying to achieve a

vintage, tea stained feel by using browns to shade. I like it.

 Kept the layout pretty simple, too. I couldn't get too involved in too

much more than that anyway. My MIL loved it. She always loves my

cards no matter what they look like. She is a wonderful woman.

Hope everyone had a nice Mother's Day. 

I did.

I got a Daenerys Targaryen action figure.

She is the Mother of Dragons, after all.

   

One bad mother trucker

When I was in Los Angeles a couple of years ago,

I saw this sign and had to snap a picture.

I remember Sebastian Bach saying that alot too.

I still think it's cool though. 

Here is a look at my newest baby doll.

It's just kind of a given that when you share the

same name as a cool ass toy, it has to be yours.

Well, in my house, those are the rules.   

Isn't she lovely?

And so deadly!

She even has a ... (wait for it, wait for it)

removable brain!!!

Some Mom's get flowers and candy on Mother's Day.

I got all you can drink Bloody Marys

and a new Living Dead doll.

I love my life.

 

Mutha's Day

Mother's day last year, sucked out loud.

I have never had a close relationship with my Mother.

I guess you could say we have been estranged as of 2008.

I had a bit of a falling out with my Father back then, and since then my mother and I have not kept in touch.

So, out of hurt and anger, I didn't send her a card last year for Mother's day.

Big mistake!

I was a mess the entire day. I was wracked with guilt for not sending a stupid card.

Then, in the winter of 2009, my Mother phoned me (after not speaking for almost 2 years) to let me know she was diagnosed with breast cancer and I should go get checked.

How you doin?!

So, this year I made not one, but seven Mother's day cards.

I am always taking pictures of fleurs and bugs and stuff in my yard, so I decided to

make my little masterpieces the focal point of my Mother's Day cards this year.

I had seven cards to make so this was a stress free way to get that task accomplished without the usual resentments.

I found it best just to let the fleur be the star and use subtle papers and embellishments, so as not to make the card too busy.

 

This Mother's Day is all about me and my son.

Looking forward to hanging out with him and having a great day.

Love your Mother if she'll let you, and if not, love yourself.