Challenge 112: Thank You

Hello High Hopes friends!

I forgot to choose the winner of the Favorite Pet's challenge when I got home from my trip.

So we'll start with that today...

The winner of the Favorite Pets challenge is:

Congratulations, Larisa. Please email me at stampandcreate@bellsouth.net with your mailing address and choice of 3 free stamps.

Now the winner of the Stars and Stripes Challenge is:

Congratulations, Renae. Please email me at stampandcreate@bellsouth.net with your mailing address and your choice of 3 free stamps.

Before we get to this week's challenge, we have from sad news.

Jeanette and Cathy both have stepped down from the team to be able to focus on their families.

They will be greatly missed on the team :-(

Now on to this week's challenge:

Our hostess this week is Lynne who is challenging us to Give Thanks

Let's see your thank you cards!

Just remember, you can only use High Hopes stamp for the challenge.

Non qualifying challenges will be deleted.

Here are the awesome DT samples...

Lynne

Kristine

Lacey
Tanya
KarenNiki

Jeanne

Andrea

Now it's your turn!!

Slider Card Tutorial by Karen

Hello High Hopes Fans!

It's Tutorial Tuesday Time.

If you are looking for our current challenge, click here.

This week Karen has created an easy tutorial on how to create a

Slide Card.

Slider cards are so much fun and such a fun surprise for the recipient.

The text is included in the images.

You should be able to click on the photos to pull it up in a larger view.

Karen used the following stamps:

~Party Cake With Posey Buttons

~Buddy's Party Info

~Flower Button Border

Challenge 111: Stars and Stripes

Hello High Hopes Fans!

Lacey is out of town this weekend, so Andrea is here to help with the post.

Lacey will be back later today with the winner of the last challenge.

In the mean time, this week's challenge is:

Stars and/or Stripes

It doesn't have to be a "Patriotic" theme, just add stars, stripes, or both on your card.

Just remember, you MUST use a High Hopes image to be entered into the challenge.

Cards not using a High Hopes image will be deleted.

If you are in need of some High Hopes stamps, why not check out the Diva's Stores:

Lacey Stephens - Stamp and Create based out of the US

Nikki Fairbairn - Bunny Zoe's Crafts based out of the UK/Europe

Amy Wegener - Stampin' Stuff based out of Australia

High Hopes Website

The prize is 3 free High Hopes stamps of your choice!!

The awesome Design Team have created some fun cards for your inspiration...

Lacey

Alie

Kristine

Alex.

Andrea

Jeanne

Karen

Lynne

Niki

Sirpa

Tanya

Now it's your turn!! The challenge is open through June 27th.

Welcome to the new Guest Divas

Hello High Hopes friends!
It's Lacey here quickly checking in from my trip to Tennessee. It's time to welcome our new Guest Divas so I hope this post works from my new iPad. If not, I'll have to repost it when I get home on Tuesday. Speaking of Tuesday, we will be back with our new challenge on Tuesday morning.

In the mean time, if you are looking for our current challenge, click on the "challenge" button at the top of the blog. I haven't been able to figure out who to add hyperlinks correctly on this thing yet.

Anyway, it's been so much fun having Alie and Anna on the team for the past few months. It's so hard to say goodbye when the guest spots are over :-(
Alie and Anna, thank you so much for all of your wonderful inspiration. We will miss you dearly but will be sure to sat your blogs often!!

Now it's time to welcome our newest guest:

First up we have someone who is no stranger to the High Hopes challenges. Lynne is often known as "Lynne in NI" when she enters challenges. She has been one of High Hopes longest running challenge participants (and she's a sweet heart as well). We are so happy to welcome her as a Guest Diva for the next few months...


I live in beautiful County Antrim in Northern Ireland with my partner Greg and our pooch, Ruby. I started card making a few years back - one my first investments was a High Hopes stamp and I've been hooked ever since! I've always loved playing along with the challenges here, so I'm absolutely thrilled to be joining such a talented team as Guest Designer.

Lynne's blog is:
http://ruby-dooby-dooscraftyspot.blogspot.com/2011/04/eeeeek-flying-mouse.html

Next up, we have another blogger who is also no stranger to High Hopes. She was recently a guest for our 100th challenge. But before that, she was one of our regular Design Divas!! We are so pleased to have Niki Estes back on the team...


Hi Everyone! My name is Niki Estes and I live in Oregon (USA) with my husband and our three beautiful children. I grew up loving to draw and create things. When my oldest son was born in 2003, I began scrapbooking as a way to preserve all the photos and memories of our family. In 2007, I decided it would be fun to include some stamping in my layouts. I've been an avid stamper and cardmaker as well as scrapbooker ever since. I had the pleasure of designing for High Hopes a couple years ago and I'm very excited and honored to get to work with Tina, Bethany, and all the design team ladies again.

Niki's blog is:
http://nikiestes.typepad.com/my_paper_creations/

Please join me in welcoming our newest Guest Divas!!

Copic Technique- Fun way to colour HHS Dragons!

Hello High Hopes Fans!

It's Tutorial Tuesday Time and the fabulous Andrea has a fun tutorial for us.

Click here if you are looking for the current challenge.

Also, I'll be back a little later this week to introduce our next round of Guest Divas!!

Now on to our tutorial...

Hello! Andrea here for this week's tutorial. I wanted to share a way to colour up the HHS dragons as seen on this previous card...

I enjoyed colouring him with tons of little dots that I thought it would be fun to share how I did it.

First stamp your image using your preferred copic paper and ink. I used the Copic X-press it paper and Tuxedo Black Memento ink. I let the image dry for about 20 minutes before colouring it. Probably longer than necessary but I didn't want it to bleed in my fancy tutorial pictures lol.

You will need the following Copic markers if you want to use the exact same colours I did- G40, G82, G85, G94, G99. Of course you don't have to use the same colours I did- feel free to experiment!

Taking your G40 marker cover your dragon with dots all over the body where you want the green to show. I left his horns and belly green free.

Next up grab your G82 and cover the body in the same areas but not completely so that you can still see the G40 showing through. This will give it a fun mottled look instead of just one colour in this area. After adding your G82 go over the same area again with your G40 to blend the colours.

Now we are going to give our image more depth by adding shading. I will be the first to admit I am not the best at knowing where to add it so use your eye and start where you would imagine the body to be darker in spots. It may help to put an object on your table under the same light you are using to get a better idea. Take your G85 and start dotting your shaded spots. I extend it quite a way into my already coloured areas as I will be adding more colours for depth and I want to give myself room. You can see the difference in the picture below.

Grab your G94 marker and add more dots in the same area you just put your G85. I typically put it up to half of the G85 dotted area. Looking below you can see it is darker in the shaded areas where I used G85 and G94.

Now I am going to add my darkest dots using G99. I am just putting a thin layer of dots into the same area I just added the G94. This will deepen your shadows and make them flow.

Last step! Now using your first colour G40 you are going to do nice big squishy dots and colour over the entire area to blend all the colours. I dotted and dotted then dotted some more until happy!

Now you are ready to colour the rest of your image! I added glitter to his belly and horns by dotting my Sakura stardust glitter gel pen and quickly blending the dots with my finger. I recommend just doing a small area at a time as it dries really quickly then won't blend. I find doing it this way just adds a sheen of sparkle instead of covering over what you just coloured with the silver glitter if you use the pen directly on your image. I also added some glossy glaze over my dragon (which was still wet at the time of the picture so it's cloudy) and a Viva Decor pen in Ice White pearl for the foamy bubbles.

Now to put this somewhere to dry so my kitties don't leave paw prints in the glazed areas. Those cats find a way into everything! Come back next week to see this cutie made into a card along with the rest of the Diva's creations to inspire your mojo for our bi-weekly challenge!

I hope you find this a faster way to colour so that you don't find time 'draggin'!! Hee Hee, sorry couldn't resist! ;)

Cheers! Andrea