Sprite Delight III at Aurora Wings Challenge Blog

Happy Monday everyone! And what a way to start your week than with a new challenge at Aurora Wings Challenge Blog. This 23^rd Aurora Wings challenge is the third round of Sprite Delight, or Sprite Delight III. I get the pleasure of playing along with the other talented and artistic designers as an Aurora Wings February Guest Designer. Mitzi’s delightful sprites have been a favorite of mine for several years now. I don’t think that I will ever get tired of creating fun journal pages and art cards. All of her sprites can be found in her Aurora Wings Etsy shop.

Mitzi’s sprites are created as flowers, plants, or insects. I do have several Aurora Wings sprites colored and waiting on me for projects. For this project I decided on the Ranunculus Sprite and can be found in her Etsy shop. My color scheme decision making is helped along with an online search for that particular kind of sprite.  Now it’s time for me to start the Copic coloring process.

Copics used for my coloring:

Skin: E000, 00, 04, 11, 21, and R20;

Flower: RV63, 69, and YR20, 23, 24;

Leaves and slippers: G40, 43, 46, 29.

I decided several months ago to start a 6” square “Sprite Journal.” With that said the following pictures and products links are the process of creating my second sprite journal page. (You can find my first sprite journal page here.)

To begin, I trimmed a 6” square of 140lb mixed media paper. After trimming I laid down a coat of DecoArt’s White Gesso. No picture here because I don't think you need to see a "white" page! LOL

The photo above, and before I started adding colors, shows DecoArt’s Doily stencil used with DecoArt’s Modeling Paste. After that was dry, I added DecoArt’s Misters in Orange and Primary Magenta. I added one more mister in Yellow Green and wiped this green with a baby wipe.

I was trying to tone down all the bright colors. At this point I covered the page with DecoArt’s Soft Touch Varnish. I have depleted my stock of DecoArt’s Matt Medium, but this

varnish was lovely to work with.

I added Crystal Craft Twinkles (DecoArt of course) to the page. I think that you can tell in the above photo the reflection of the twinkles.

Still too bright for my taste, so I tried the White Shimmer Mist to help tone it down some.

I was still not satisfied, so decided to mix Americana Acrylic Paint in Hauser Medium Green and Evergreen.

I started dabbing the green on and added a few flower stems.

Almost finished…I cut a couple of die cuts with Spellbinder’s Happy Days dies from designer paper. Next step was using Orange Misters to darken the bright paper. I felt my page still needed something. I have a large stash of chipboard patterns. I choose Make it Crafty’s corners and covered them with DecoArt’s DecoArt Lavish Green Metallic Lustre. (Love this medium! DecoArt has a new color, Rose Gold, and they are getting ready to launch more new colors for 2016.)

The last bits to be glued down were paper flowers (which received a coat of the Craft Twinkles), the sentiment, and the Ranunculus Sprite. My sprite was fussy cut with a bit of the white left around the image and glued onto some black cardstock. That black cardstock was then fussy cut like the first time. I like the main image, or subject matter, to pop off the page. Now my journal page is complete!

This very last picture is a photo of the all the DecoArt products that I got messy with. Don't you love getting messy?

I hope you join us for this challenge. Mitzi has provided you with the cutest pineapple sprite for you to use in this challenge. Hop on over to the Aurora Wings Challenge Blog and pick it up. Isn’t she the cutest?

Thanks for stopping by and a very big thank you to Aurora Wings for this opportunity! If you have any questions, please contact me.

Aletha Jane

AJ’s Design Artz

AW February Guest Designer

Christmas is Just Around the Corner

Happy Friday everyone! I know a lot of you are ready for the weekend. If you all get out, keep yourselves warm. The Arctic blast that came through Oklahoma Tuesday morning has affected most of the United States.

Sweet Pea Stamps is having a “Christmas is just around the corner” blog hop. You are going to be in for a treat visiting all of Sweet Pea’s designers’ blogs. If you have come from Suzi’s blog you are on the right track.

My little Christmas project is a card designed with a Mitzi Sato-Wiuff’s “Holly Sprite.” “Holly Sprite” can be found in rubber stamp form in Sweet Pea Stamps brand new website. I hope you stop by and check it out. With this new website, and if you order digital images, your digital images will be available as instant download. How cool is that?

Holly Sprite was first colored with Copics and then trimmed with Spellbinder’s A2 Curved Matting dies.  The next step was to add some green ink around the edges, accent the berries with Journey Glaze, and layer with burgundy and olive cardstock. The olive and burgundy cardstocks were die cut with the curved matting dies also.

Copics used:

Skin: E000, 00, 04, 11, 21, and R20

Coat and Shoes: RV91, 93, 95, 99

Holly Berries: R27, 29, 89

Holly Leaves: YG21, G40, 82, 94, 99

Coat Trim and Muff: C00, 0, 1, 3

Background: W00, 0, 1, 2, 3

For corner embellishments I die cut twice the olive cardstock with Spellbinder’s Holly Motifs die, embossed with the die, and accented the embossed parts with red ink. After that was dry I cut those two apart to make the eight corner embellishments. The last embellishments were red rhinestones.

My list of supplies and their links are:

• Stampin’ Up!’s Bravo Burgundy and Old Olive Cardstock
• Heartfelt Creations Designer Paper – Frosty Blanket Collection
• Spellbinder’s A2 Curved Matting Basics A & B and Holly Motifs
• Fun Stampers Journey True Color Fusion Ink in Pomegranate Splash and Journey Glaze

Your next stop will be Olivia’s blog. Please visit each of Sweet Pea’s talented team members' blogs and leave a little love - a comment on every hop post will enter you into a drawing for a $20 gift code to the Sweet Pea Stamps store! As an added bit of fun share the hop on Facebook tagging Sweet Pea Stamps for a chance of winning a $10 gift code to the Sweet Pea Stamps store! Winners will be chosen around the first of next week.

Here's a coupon for you during our "Christmas is around the corner" blog hop.

Thanks for stopping by. If you have any questions, please contact me. Have fun hopping!

Aletha Jane

AJ’s Design Artz
SPS Designer

New Challenge at Aurora Wings

Another late post for me. One of these days I am going to feel normal, but I am getting better. I know that I am fighting depression because I have been coloring and creating at a sporadic rate and not my usual every day routine. Bummer! O

We have an amazing new challenge at the Aurora Wings Challenge Blog. I know that you are going to love this one. Our theme is “Sprite Delight.” See I told ya! I know that the world is in love with Mitzi’s sprites, and I know that a lot of you already have a growing collection of her digital sprites.

Why not add one more and join our “Sprite Delight” challenge. Mitzi has given you that one more for your collection. Check out the blog. Now you have no reason for not entering our challenge. You can create anything you want, but your project must have a fairy or sprite and it must be hand colored. If you use an Aurora Wings Sprite you may enter up to THREE times, but those of you choosing from another company must limit your entry to ONE. Please remember your image must be rubber or digital and MUST be hand colored. Onward to my project!

For my projects I decided to create with Mitzi’s Whimsical Dahlia Sprite. Isn’t she a cutie? Dahlia Sprite was colored with Copics and then mounted on several pieces of cardstock. I got a little carried away with my Copic’s YRs. I wanted more yellow, but I guess I was feeling a little heavy handed that day.

Copics used:
Skin: E000, 00, 04, 11, 21, R20
Leaves: G40, 82, 85, 99
Dahlia: E07, Y15, YR00, 02, 09
Background: Woo, 0, 1, 2, &15, YR00

I had some fun with my new flower dies and stamps. This was the first time I used them so I still need a little practice. The links are listed below.

My final recipe:

CS: SU in Early Espresso & Marigold Morning

DP: Gina K. Designs Sun-Kissed Autumn

Flowers: Heartfelt Creations Ariana Blooms stamp set, and 

Spellbinder’s/Heartfelt Creations Ariana Blooms and Ariana Lace Dies

Bling: USArtQuest Prills and Wink of Stella Clear Glitter Brush Pen

I have not entered any challenges in a while;

therefore I would like to enter my Dahlia Sprite in the following challenges:

Fan-Tastic Tuesday – Anything Goes, must be square or rectangle

Party Time Tuesdays – Anything Goes

Tuesday Throwdown – Handmade Flowers

2 Cute Ink Challenges – Anything Goes

I really appreciate all of you stopping by. If you need any further information you can contact me.

Aletha Jane

AJ’s Design Artz

Aurora Wings Designer

Sweet Pea’s Artist Week with Mitzi Sato-Wiuff

Hi to all visiting today. It was “Featured Artist Week” at the Sweet Pea Stamps Design Team blog last week. Yes, I am a little late in posting this, but I am giving it a go now. Our featured artist is Mitzi Sato-Wiuff. Sweet Pea Stamps has her images as rubber stamps. If you are an avid rubber stamper, Mitzi’s images will be right up your alley.

For my little project I decided to create with one of Mitzi’s sprites, Whimsical Hydrangea Sprite. I have colored her with Copics and added some highlights with glitter pens and a Sharpie White paint pen. My card base is black. The layered cardstock is Stampin’ Up!’s in Old Olive and Rich Razzelberry. My designer paper is from Heartfelt Creations Aster Collection,

Copics used:

Skin: E000, 00, 04, 11, 21, R20

Violets: V01, 04, 06, 09

Blues: B32, 34, 37, 39

Greens: G40, 82, 94, 99

After I fussy cut this darling sprite, I layered her on several die cuts. These die cuts are Spellbinder’s circles and a butterfly circle. All those little butterflies are the waste from the butterfly circle die. To add one more layer I die cut another circle fr.m the Old Olive cardstock and added that as my bottom layer. Finishing the card was completed by adding Cheery Lynn’s Lace Corner Deco A to each corner.

My little sprite would like to join the following challenges:

613 Avenue Create – Anything Goes

Come and Get It – Spring Flowers

Quirky Crafts – Something with an S (my S is Sprite)

I hope you join us at One Sweet Challenge for our monthly challenge. The theme is “Ringing in Spring.” You still have a little more time to enter. Come show us your little pieces of art using a Sweet Pea Stamps image in our Facebook Group. We have a bi-weekly contest and our prize is one Sweet Pea digital image of your choice. I really hope you join us. Would you like to know about sales and new artists? Come visit and like our Sweet Pea StampsPage. Remember to check “get notifications.”

Thanks for stopping by. If you have any questions, please contact me.

Aletha Jane

AJ’s Design Artz

Sweet Pea Stamps Designer

A Sprite and a Dragon at Sweet Peas

I have a very fun art card today. Sweet Pea Stamps (SPS) has started carrying a line of rubber stamps designed by the fantasy artist Mitzi Sato-Wiuff. I have loved her images for forever and when Lynette announced that Sweet Peas was going to be producing rubber for Ms. Sato-Wiuff,  I did the happy dance again. I say again because every time a new artist is picked up by SPS I do the happy dance.

 For my little piece of art I chose to create with the Snapdragon Sprite and Baby Dragon stamp. I love all things fantastical, and this one fit the bill. I also love coloring with my Copics, and just look at all those snapdragon ruffles begging to be colored just as bright as I could make them. I thought red and yellow would do the trick.

Copics used:

Skin: E000, 00, 11, R02

Leaves: YG91, 93, 95, 97, 99

Petals: R20, 21, 22, 24, 27, and

Y17, 15, 13, 11

Baby Dragon: YG61, 63, 67

Background: W00, 0, 1, 2, and Y11

After the coloring, I fussy cut the sprite and popped her up on some Stampin’ Up! cardstock in Basic Black and Old Olive. I do love my layers and some contrast, so there was a lot of cutting going on with this project. My designer paper is Stampin’ Up!’s Paisley Petals.

This little sprite really did not need too many embellishments. I decided that a few dainty Memory Box butterflies would do the trick. I also used some Pumpkin Liquid Pearls for some accents on the butterflies and corners. I always forget about Liquid Pearls and I love using them when I do remember.

Snapdragon Sprite will be entering in the following challenges:

Crafty Creations - Anything except Christmas

Loves Rubber Stamps - Anything Goes

Through the Craftroom Door - Anything Goes

SPS monthly challenge is going on over at One SweetChallenge. The theme is “A Gift in Itself.” We would love for you to join our SPS Facebook group and share your love for all things Sweet Pea Stamps. Want to keep up with all the happenings at SPS? Then come “like” our page and you can be the first informed. Mitzi has a Facebook group, Stamps by AuroraWings, and I know that she would love for you all to join.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you stop by the SPS Design Team blog. We have two to three inspirational pieces for you every day. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate contacting me.

Aletha Jane

AJ’s Design Artz

SPS Design Team