A little Colouring....

Well, quite a lot actually!! Hi folks... not an actual New Year’s resolution, but I did say to myself that I would try and do more of what I wanted to do this year craft wise.. And for me, that means colouring... Be it with Inks, Wax's or in today’s projects case, Pens..

I'm sure if you've been following us for a while now you'll know that I love me some Copic's?!!!

So, over the Christmas and New Year break I put them to good use in preparation for our colouring workshop on 13th February...

Yeah, got a bit carried away!!!
Still, it's got me into the zone to carry on colouring in between the day to day running of Che Pinnacles...

So, lots more colour on its way folks...
Thanks for checking us out.
See you soon.
Andy.

Happy Birthday Dad....

Hi folks... Just taking a brief hiatus from Christmas samples to get some Birthday cards finished....
For those of you who have been following us for some time now, you will know that September is Birthday Month che Pinnacles... We've had the Shops 11th Birthday. And today, it is my Dad's turn...

I know it's difficult to do "guyz cards", it's just as difficult for me too, believe me.. I seem to end up doing a play on the same theme each year!! And to be honest, this year is no different!!!

However, I have tried to mix it up just a little bit this year by way of some metallic flowers.

Flowers on a guyz card! I know, controversial, but they are Steampunk flowers and I think they kinda work?!!

And considering they took me nearly 6 hrs on and off to colour in, they're just ganna have to work!

So, that's one done, another family birthday is just around the corner...

Thanks for checking us out.
See you soon.
Andy.

More than a card....

Hi everyone... If you saw yesterday's post you will know that it was my best mates Birthday.. And hopefully you will have liked the card I made for him..? It's always difficult making projects for us guys, but on this occasion I just couldn't stop myself!!
I'm lucky enough to count my true friends on the fingers of one hand and I know them sometimes better than they know themselves!
I said yesterday that my bestie was a bit of a dance fiend, and to be honest in our little group we have all been known to cut a rug on the dance floor every now and then, myself included...
So, the additional images I purchased from Make It Crafty have come in very handy as an additional Birthday gift...

Digis have one drawback for me and that is the thickness of card stock I can print them out onto, but that is more my problem than a problem with the Digi.. One of the biggest advantages of them though is the fact that you can re size them at no extra expense!!
So, that is exactly what I have done; taking my original image,

shrinking it slightly and then colouring it in with my Copics...

Doing the same with my Second


and third images....


But what to do with them?! I couldn't send Three Birthday cards, and if I had kept them to send over the next Two years, would I ever find them? Would I ek!!!
Now, you know I'm a fan of Wilko's? You can always find a bargain or 10 in there, and at SALE time, even more so!!
So I picked up 3 inexpensive frames and place each of my images in them.
We have KK1

KK2

& KK3

(Really! Please don't ask what KK means.. You really don't want to know!!)
OK, they are not strictly caricatures of us all, but the theme and sentiment are all there!!

Honest to God, I love them soo much, I think I might even make a set for myself!!
Thanks for checking us out.
See you soon.
Andy.

And so it begins......

Hi folks.. I hope you are all settling in to 2014?
Only the 2nd of January and the Birthday's have already arrived...
Today is my best mates B'day.. And here's the card I made for him..

He's a bit of a dance fiend, and at his age, he really should know better. But to be honest, it's still quite impressive if a little embarrassing to watch him throw some shapes at any given moment on a night out!!
So, for me, this Digi image from Make it Crafty has fit the bill for his card this year...

It's been a while since I have done some colouring, and it's not until you revisit a technique that you remember how much you enjoy it and wonder why you don't do it a little more often!
I purchased the whole set of the dancers, well, they were only Au$7.65 (£4.12) and I got a FREE digi too, so why not!
So, for his card I printed out one of the images and coloured it using my Copics...

Normally, I would have glazed the image with Glossy Accents, but one of the draw backs for me using a Digi image is that my printer does not take 290gsm card stock, at a push maybe 225gsm, which really doesn't like the wetness of Glossy Accents and buckles the card (must ask Santa for a new Printer this year....)
So, although I would have preferred to have glazed the image, leaving it as it is seemed fine and perhaps more in keeping with the "Cartoony" "sketchiness" of the image!
So as not to detract from the image, I simply matt and layered with some Mirror card and pattered card stock

before attaching my PC printed sentiment (what does KK1 mean? Don't ask, it's just one of those things!!)..

And there you go..... First project for 2014 off of the Pinnacles production line....

Happy Birthday KK1, hope you enjoy your day mate...
Thanks for checking us out.
See you soon..
Andy.

Pretty in Pink...

Hi folks.. Last one of the samples I made using the Festive Boot Stamp..
We've had a couple of "traditional" ones, a little bit of "Vintage" and now,

it's time for something a little bit more "Contemporary", and probably my favourite of the lot...
Thanks for checking us out.
See you soon.
Andy.

Happy Birthday Dad...

... Hi folks... I love September... Why? Because in our family, it's Birthday Month.. We have the Shops 10th Birthday coming up, Mums Birthday is in a few days, Nanny Iris would have been 83 this year at the end of the Month, MY Birthday is just around the corner..
and today, we celebrate my Dads Birthday..

and here's the card I made for him..
He has always been a practical man and can turn his hand to anything, although we haven't let him loose on card making just yet!! but I'm sure it would be a doddle for him..
Each year it gets harder and harder to come up with an idea for his Birthday card, but this year I think I've cracked it!! Trying to encompass a few of his skills in wood and metal...

This project really had me reminiscing, anyone else remember Professor Yaffle from Bagpuss?
"Happy Birthday" Pops, hope you enjoy your day xx.
Thanks for checking us out.
See you soon.
Andy.

Time for a change...

... of colour way that is!! Hi folks.. Well, the Red and White Boot in my last post seems to have gone down a storm I thought I'd chance my (colouring) arm a bit and use it with something a bit more vintage...
So, tones of Brown and Cream for this one, or should that be Chocolate and Cream?!!

It's always about food with me.!! Well, not just me. Have you noticed how many crafting products, particularly Inks are named after foods? Guess who ever named them might have been a bit peckish at the time!!
Thanks for checking us out.
See you soon.
Andy.

Worth the wait??...

...Hi folks... OK,Ok, They may be few and far between at the moment (samples that is), but hopefully they are worth the wait..?
Honestly, I have no idea where the time is going at the moment! I know I come to work, and I know I go home.. But what happens in between the two is evading me at the moment!!

Managing to churn out a few little gems though, so I must be getting something done!!
See you soon. (hopefully!!)
Andy

Home Sweet Home..

Hi folks. Just as I thought the weather had turned from winter to spring! It appears it has taken a full 360 (or should that be a 180?) and gone back into winter! Yuk!! Whilst it was sunny, for a while! it got me into a bit a crafting in some more Springtime "fresh" colour ways! However! its eyes down now for some not so fresh colour ways (maybe) as I finish of prepping for our Tim Holtz style'ie day on Saturday.. Inky finger will defo be the order of the day!! What colour they will be is anyone's guess! See you soon. Andy.

Therapeutic colouring..

Hi Folks, just sharing a little sample we made in our Copic/ProMarker colouring session last Saturday! Really pleased with the results of this one, as were the ladies who came along to the lesson. Practice makes perfect ladies. Keep on colouring! Thanks for checking us out. See you soon. Andy.

Where are you getting yours from?....

.....Inspiration that is! For me, my crafting mojo has done a disappearing act for the time being.. When that happens I search all over the place! Not for the mojo itself but for something to inspire me.. In today's case, I drew inspiration from the snowy weather we had at the weekend.

This was a picture I took whilst out with Holly (the dog) on Sunday. It wasn't the actual images that inspired me, but the colours. Grey seems too been the order of the day at the moment, although I'm sure I did see a little bit of Blue sky at some point today!

So, with the Grey theme in mind I coloured this little chappie in,

following the Grey (ish) theme throughout the project! OK, adding just a little Green to lift it a bit! It's been ages since I've done some colouring, Dies seem to have taken over my life for the past few Months, so it's been good to re visit and old technique... Thanks for checking us out, see you soon. Andy.

A busy day ahead.....

Hi Gang. All ready here at Pinnacles for today's demo day with Andy Skinner.

Can't wait to see what he has in store for us all.... As I stated in yesterdays quick post, the new November/December Do Crafts promotion has arrived.. It was unpacked, checked off and priced up, and then we had to do the usual impossipuzzle to fit it onto our already bulging shelves.. But fit it on we did!

Looks pretty amazing no?! Like I said earlier this week, I was lucky enough to have a little play with the goodies before they actually came in..

So here is my second sample for you. Although the promo is pretty nondescript in the fact that it does not cover any particular season. This one I have made into a crimbo card.

So, after the usual gubbings of stamping the image, colouring with my Copics and glazing with Glossy Accents

I cut the image out, lobbing off the fronds from the ladies hat! There was just no way that I could cut that fine detail,

but I replaced them with some feathers... Christmas is such a busy time for us all, especially card makers! So, anything which can make the job easier, and above all, quicker is always a bonus.

This particular Embossing Folder (Xmas Joy to All from the Ho Ho Ho Collection from Couture Creations) fills those needs. Not only does it have a nice embossed image, but the sentiment is also part of the folder. Double whammie!! So, once embossed,

I matt and layered it

before adding my stamped image

and mounting it onto an Acetate base card to finish it off.. Simple dimple.... See you later if you are popping in for the demo, and don't forget, it's 20% off in store today for all Pinnacle Crafts Club Members (usual exceptions apply), time to stock up me thinks!! Thanks for checking us out. See you soon Andy..

A little bit of Art Deco.....

Hi folks... Just a quick one for you today.. I have been lucky enough to get my hot little (big) crafting hands on some of the new Do Crafts promotion a little before it is due to be released at the end of the week (hopefully!)... Lots of our customers ask for it, and Do Crafts have answered your crafting prayers by releasing a whole new range of Art Deco inspired stash!!! So, here is what I have done with one of the stamps..

This little chickeroonie is called "Lindy" and is one of 3 new stamps, 4 if you include the freebie which comes with the Creativity Magazine (Issue 36)...

After colouring with my Copic pens and glazing with Glossy Accents,

she was matt and layered with Black Mirror card and White card stock.

I embossed two pieces of Black Mirror card using the Breeze Embossing Folder which is part of the Romantic range from Couture Creations..

Hiding the join between the two embossed pieces of card with Lindy herself... Pretty effective me thinks.... More to come later in the week... Thanks for checking us out, see you soon.. Andy..