I GET TO SHARE SOME EXCITING NEWS!

Hello friends, and welcome back to my blog! My exciting news that I get to share with you today is that I am now a DT member at Digi Doodle Studios!  I am super excited about this new opportunity...I get to work alongside some of the most AMAZING designers, AND I will be creating with the SUPER CUTE images by Dina!  This month's blog challenge is BE HAPPY and/or FAVORITE THINGS, and the DT twist is to ADD A HEART.  Today is my first post as an actual DT member, and here is my project:

I chose to use Antoni Coffee Gnomie because he is just the CUTEST fella with that coffee mug in his hands, and because coffee makes me happy, specifically iced coffee from Dunkin!  I actually think he is enjoying some hot chocolate...I guess that's what he was in the mood for today!  I used my Silhouette Designer Edition software to size my image the way I wanted him to look for my card, then I cut him out with my Cameo. He is colored with mostly alcohol markers, but I colored his beard using Arteza colored pencils in smoke gray and cloudy gray.  That was my first time using those pencils, and I really enjoyed them.  

For the background, I ink blended Ground Espresso oxide ink through the FABULOUS Coffee Beans stencil from A Colorful Life Designs.  I started with a 5.5 x 5.5" piece of cardstock and used my Taylored Expressions brown blender brush to blend darkest in the center and lighter as I worked toward the edges.  When I got the look I wanted, I removed the stencil and blended over the whole panel with the remaining ink on the brush to get rid of the stark white between the beans.  Once that was dry, I added water to some Walnut Stain distress ink and splattered away!  The coffee bean panel was cut down using the largest Spellbinders card creator die from set B and adhered to some kraft cardstock that is adhered directly to my 4.25 x 5.5" card base, all with Bearly Art glue.  Antoni was adhered with foam squares.  

The sentiment dies come from the Bitty Buzzwords die set from Honeybee Stamps, and they were cut 3 times each and layered for dimension.  For a final sparkly touch to my card, I added Mint Ice Stickles to certain areas of the image, and also to the bottom of the die cut heart (Hug in a Mug die set from Honeybee Stamps), and to the bottom of the words.  Also, his little pompoms have white gel pen details added to make them look fluffy.  Here are a couple more pics:

--CHALLENGES--

Love to Craft #66:  ATG (1/8)

Mix It Up #57:   ATG (1/8)

Classic Design 2022 #1:  ATG

The Paper Funday #36:  ATG (2/4)

Color It, Create It, Show it Off:  ATG (1/3)

Crafts Galore Encore #95:  ATG

A Perfect Time to Craft 2022 #1:  ATG

The Creative Crafters #47:  ATG (1/3)

The Corrosive Challenge #12:  ATG (1/4)

Gem of a Challenge 2022 #1:  ATG (1/2)

Crafting Happiness #119:  ATG

Passion for Markers #621:  ATG Mega challenge (1/3)

Polkadoodles 2022 #1:  ATG (1/2)

Digi Choosday:  ATG (1/2)

Word Art Wednesday #523 - #524:  ATG

Penny's Paper Crafty #511:  ATG 

The Outlawz Monday Greetings:  ATG with a greeting on the outside

The Outlawz Festive Fridays:  ATG

Thanks so much for dropping by today!  Don't forget to join us over on the challenge blog and share your BE HAPPY and/or FAVORITE THINGS creations!  Happy New Year to us all, and I hope it will be a blessed one.  Until next time,

Stay Healthy, Take Care, and God Bless! 💖

~ Marie