Hoppin with the Pixie Cottage for Prizes!

Today at the Pixie Cottage we are having a little fall fun by showcasing our new line of digital images! There are a ton of adorable images so make sure to pop in and take a look...who knows, maybe you could win some of the images you see!

You should have arrived here from Denise's blog but if not, go back to the Pixie Cottage Blog and start from the beginning!

How to win:

1. Stop by each blog in the hop and become a follower.

2. Make a comment on the post and don't forget your contact info!

What are we giving away?

Lots of Digital Images to celebrate our new collection!

1st Place--Pick any 5 digital images from The Pixie Cottage

2nd Place Pick any 3 digital images from The Pixie Cottage

3rd Place Pick any 1 digital image from The Pixie Cottage

Your next stop on the hop is the lovely and talented illustrator of all of these wonderful digis...Artish!

Remember to leave a comment/and follow each blog to qualify for the prizes!

Card Recipe:
The Pixie Cottage - Blanco
CS and papers: Basic Grey "Junebug", Bazzill CS
Coloring: Prismacolor pencils and OMS
Accessories and Embellishments: Ribbon from RRR, distress inks, Spellbinders dies, MM charm, JOlees pumpkin sticker, Madeira thread

Challenges:

Paper Playtime - Halloween

Crafty Creations - Halloween or Autumn
Lil Red Wagon - Halloween
Wild Flower Patch - Halloween
Reasonable Ribbon - Halloween and Ribbon
Dutch Dare - Halloween
AI Factory - Halloween
Create With Connie and Mary - Halloween
Paper Play - Halloween
Pixie Dust - Halloween
Treehouse Stamps - Halloween
Crafty Catz - Halloween

Caroling Delight!

Happy Thursday all! Today I get to show you this adorable new holiday image from Digital Delights by Louby Loo. Meet Caroling Penny! I also used a DD sentiment and this fabulous digital tree.
I decided to use some non-traditional colors on my card like purples and oranges but they matched my DP :) I really like the way this little cutie turned out. Makes sure to check out all the new images at Digital Delights!

Card Recipe:
Image by Digital Delights: Caroling Penny, Tree, Sentiment
CS and papers: DCWV DP, Greenbriar Felt Cardstock from Paper Temptress
Coloring: Prismacolor pencils and OMS
Accessories and Embellishments: Ribbon, Madeira Thread, Sewing Machine, Spellbinders Die, EK Success Border Punch

Challenges:
A Spoon Full of Sugar - Let's Get Punchy
Simon Says Stamp - Punch Em
Wee Memories - Cute Holiday
The Crafty Pad - Christmas
Stamp With Sarah Kay - Christmas
Southern Girls - Glitter It Up
Totally Gorjuss - Sparkle
Craft Your Passion - Glitter/Sparkles
Paper Take Weekly - Sparkly and Bright
Paper Pretties - Make a Square Card

Fall fun with the Pixie Cottage

It's Once Upon a Wednesday at the Pixie Cottage and we have a brand new challenge for you. This week we have a great sketch by the lovely Penny from Busch Creations! Our theme this week is METAL! You can choose to use the sketch the theme or both! I really hope you can join us, there are fun prizes to be won!
My card this week features my favorite scarecrow "Fall Friend" from Eileen Gutierrez. I colored him with my waterbrush and Tombow markers then popped him up on this fun back ground of Stardream cardstock and DCWV DP.
I used these fun square eyelets from making memories and the brads from SU for the metal on my card.

Challenges:
Speedy The Cat's Friends - Die Cut or Punch
A Spoon Full of Sugar - Let's Get Punchy
Inky Impressions - Flowers
I Did It Creations - Open week
2 Sisters - Anything Goes
Crafty Purple Frog - Anything Goes
Flourishes - Anything Goes But No Buttons or Bows
Wee Memories - Cute Holiday
ECP Challenges - Autumn/Fall

Witch Finale

Halloween is almost here and I get to show you my last card in the Witch Trio series. This one cracks me up!
I stamped the sentiment and embossed with white embossing powder. I then masked my witch and sponged the background with a mixture of SU ink pads and Distress inks. I water colored my image with Tombow markers.

Card Recipe:
Starving Artist Stamps - Witch Trio
CS and papers: Cosmo Cricket DP, Bazzill CS
Coloring: Tombow markers and water brush
Accessories and Embellishments: Ribbon from RRR, distress inks, Fiskars border punch, sugared brads, Madeira thread

Challenges:
Reasonable Ribbon - Halloween
One Stop Crafts - Halloween
2 Sisters - Halloween
Creative Inspirations - Halloween
Creative Cottage - Halloween
Stamping Vacation Occasion Oasis - Halloween
Double Dutch - Halloween
Creative Inspirations - Spooky

Delightfully Chilly!

Another Thursday and another adorable Christmas/Wintertime image from Digital Delights by Louby Loo! I have to say, this is one of my favorites from this months releases. Meet Pickles the Penguin! Isn't he just adorable?
I popped up Pickles for extra dimension and I finally used my fun flock for his hat and the snow at his feet.

Card Recipe:
Image by Digital Delights: Pickles the Penguin
CS and papers: Cloud 9 Desings, Heidi Grace, Bazzil
Coloring: Prismacolor pencils and OMS
Accessories and Embellishments: Ribbon, fun flock, Madeira Thread, Sewing Machine, Spellbinders Die, MM snowflake

Witchy greetings

Today I wanted to show you another delightful witchy woman from the Starving Artists set "Witch Trio" From her droopy lady parts to the bags under her eyes...she is perfectly haggish :)

I water colored her using my tombow markers and then popped up everything but her hair and her skinny little legs :)

Card Recipe:
Starving Artist Stamps - Witch Trio
CS and papers: Basic Grey DP, Bazzill CS
Coloring: Tombow markers and water brush
Accessories and Embellishments: Ribbon, distress inks, Fiskars border punch, SU Crystal Effects, Madeira thread

Challenges:

A Spoon Full of Sugar - Boo
Creative Inspirations - Spooky
Sisterhood of Crafters - Halloween
Fab N Funky - Halloween
Baby Bud - Halloween
Double Dutch - Halloween
Stamping Vacation Occasion Oasis - Halloween
Creative Cottage - Halloween
Moving Along With The Times - Halloween
Reasonable Ribbon - Halloween
My Time To Craft - Halloween
Creative Inspirations - Halloween
2 Sisters - Halloween
ECP - Halloween
Crazy Challenge - Halloween
One Stop Crafts - Halloween
Stamp With Fun - Halloween
Stamp Something - Halloween
Frosted Designs - Halloween
Tellens Place - Trick or Treat

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

At Digital Delights by Louby Loo that is! Today I get to show you another October new release. Toby is back and he is ready for the holidays! You can find Toby and all of his Christmas friends at the Digital Delights shop for only $2.00! Take a look, I'm sure you will fall in love.


Card Recipe:
Image by Digital Delights: Christmas Stocking Toby, Santas Helper sentiment
CS and papers: Basic Grey, Bazzil
Coloring: Prismacolor pencils and OMS
Accessories and Embellishments: Ribbon, stickles, Madeira Thread, Sewing Machine, Distress ink, sponge, Spellbinders Die, Sugared brads
Challenges:
One Stitch At A Time - Use Your Digi's
Create 4 Fun - Use a Digi
Ooh La La - Nothing Floral
Sisterhood of Crafters - Bling
Sweet Stampin - Bling

Paper Tower Giveaway

Want to win The Paper Tower from The Original Scrapbox? I know I do! I absolutely love their products and have been dreaming of having one for the past few years :)
PriscillaStyles is hosting an awesome contest giveaway and you could win this Paper Tower! Check out her blog for all of the rules and requirements and good luck!~

You can also enter the contest at these wonderful blogs!
Pink Cricut
Rashelle Workman
My EyeQ Sue Neal
Elizabeth Mueller
Marvelously Messy
Nap Time Crafting
Priscilla Styles
Brown Paper Packages
Mod Podge Rocks
Rachelle Writes

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Mans Best Friend

Whoopee, we made it to the weekend everyone :) I don't know about you but my week was too long!
This fabulous Saturday I get to show you one of PriscillaStyles new images called "Terrier Dog Set". Doesn't Charlie just look like he as a big ol' diva attitude? And don't you just love it :)
I decided that Charlie needed lots of texture so I printed him out on this fabulous textured paper that I had in my stash...it is so old that I can't even tell you where I got it! (sorry ladies!) The paper is so fabulous that I did NOTHING to it to make it look furry. For Charlies coat I added flower soft for a lovely woolly look and then edged it in Gunmetal Stickles. The DP I used is from Cosmo Cricket and the ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbons September monthly set.

Card Recipe:
Stamps: PriscillaStyles- Terrier Dog Set
Paper: Cosmo Cricket DP, Bazzill CS
Ink: Distress Ink: Antique photo
Accessories: Sewing Machine, Glue Dots, Sponges, ribbon, stickles, embroidery floss, dewdrops, spellbinders, cuttlebug embossing folder, flower soft

Water color with Distress Inks - Tutorial

Welcome to the Pixie Cottage Saturday Tutorial! Today I am going to go over the basics of water coloring with Distress inks. I hope you have fun! It is absolutely one of my favorite ways to color a stamped image and with practice, can create stunning images.

Supplies Needed:
Water color paper (I prefer canson or Strathmore 140lb)
Stamped image-heat embossed (I used the wonderful "Hannah at the Pond")
Distress inks (Stampin' UP! waterbased inks work well too)
Aquapainter or small paint brush and water
Towel

Step 1. Stamp and emboss your image. Embossing the image helps to keep the color from bleeding.
Step 2. Squeeze the lid of the ink pad until beads of ink appear on the inside of the lid

Step 3. When using ink to color your image it is best to have at least two shades to create a dimensional effect. For Hannahs dress I used Milled Lavender for my light shade and dusty concord for my darker shade.
Swirl your moistened brush in the lighter color and completely color the area of your image with the shade.

Step 4. Clean your brush and dip it into the darker shade. Pulling the brush in one direction lay down a small amount of the darker shade in areas that should have shadow.

Step 5. Clean your brush but keep it moist. Using small circular strokes, blend the edges of the two colors until you can't see the edge of the darker color.
Let dry a few minutes and repeat in areas that you wish to appear darker.

(In this image I used Vintage photo and Walnut stain to create the hair and I have used broken china as the first shade in my water)

Helpful Tips
Don't be afraid to play with different shades of color. If an area becomes too dark, let it partially dry and use plain water to remove some of the color by using circular motions. Sometimes I find it helpful to blot with a towel and then re-blend.

By letting an image dry for a few minutes between colors it keeps the color from pooling against the embossed edges.

I find it faster to color a different area while another is drying.

Here is my finished image

(The darker shade in the water is Faded Jeans and the grass/leaves is a mixture of Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint and Pine Needles.)

Have fun playing! I can't wait to see what you create!