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Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Chilling out with MM #403 and PP #250.....

Hello Everyone: Summer is finally here and I'm really enjoying the warm, sometimes hot days, you will never, ever hear me complain again about the heat, as I'm (gracefully) aging, the cold months really do not appeal to me all that much anymore, love the beauty of falling snow and the way everything looks all covered in white but the cold temperatures are no good for my bones.
Anyway, this is the first time I combine two challenges, this time is, Mojo Monday and The Paper Players the theme and sketch worked perfectly for this card I made.
This little mouse is sure chilling out inside this cold and refreshing lemonade glass and looks perfectly happy and contented. The image is from House Mouse and it's called "Splish, Splash, a Citrus Bath".  As always,  I colored it with SU markers and the aqua painter and added a bit of Wink of Stella shimmer to the glass, flower and lemon slice.
The Gingham paper is from Lily of the Valley, the rest is from my stash. My card base is in Daffodil Delight and I embossed it with the Tulip Frame embossing folder (retired).
Here are the sketches that inspired this card.
As always, thank you so much for stopping by, I appreciate your comments immensely. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.
Till next time, hugs.
Maria.

20 comments:

Patti Willey said...

Lucky me I have this image you've made me some Summer ago! Yes he's the coolest!

Maria Rodriguez. said...

Hi Patti, I do remember that card, he is totally chilling.
Hugs.

Mary Fish said...

This is seriously sweet! Love that little guy!

Sonny said...

I have this little House Mouse that you sent me also ....not quite sure that is Lemonade ! Just saying ....
Love it !

Valerie said...

Ahhhh...House Mouse! Gotta love House Mouse!
I have a 4lb brown Chihuahua named Snickers. I always tell people that she is as sweet as her name! The happiest, Kissyest (is that can be a word) little ball of brown sugar!
This little guy reminds me so much of my baby! So cute and adorable.
I am always a huge fan of your work Maria!
Valerie
BTW, I am always in awe of your coloring and try to replicate the results. I am thinking that maybe the paper or the ink is where I fall short (obviously talent is the big one) but What WC paper do you use? I have tried tons. Canson, Strathmore (200,300 and 400 series) Tim Holtz, Dick Blick...hot press, cold press. My markers just do not blend smoothly like yours.
Also, what kind of permanent ink do you stamp your image with? I use Staz On I reink it often but it still is a "faded" impression. I have started using a stamp-a-ma-jig EVERY time I stamp on WC paper b/c I just know that I will need to repeat at least 3 time to get a "good" impression.

Maria Rodriguez. said...

LOL!! Sonny, I'm also wondering if this is still lemonade after this little cutie pie jumped in it.
Thank you for stopping by.

Maria Rodriguez. said...

Hello Valerie, you are using exactly what I use, Canson water color paper (140lbs.), Stazon Jet Black ink, water based markers, I love Stampin Up!, they blend beautifully.
When stamping your image on WC paper, the Stazon ink pad must be really juicy because the surface of the paper is really porous, also try to stamp your image on the smooth side of the paper, I don't know if you've noticed that the sheets have 2 sides, one smooth and the other one with a bit more texture.
The trick I use is that I go over the stamped image with my water brush and give it a nice coating of water,(try to stay inside the lines so your ink wont bleed out), don't soak it, it should be just enough to make it a bit damp, then I bloat it with a paper towel and then I apply the marker on the very edge and go over it with the aqua painter in small, circular motion. Start with a little bit, you can always add more for shading.
I also use the Stamp-a-majig just to make sure I have a good impression.
Keep practicing Valerie and please, keep visiting, I just love reading all the comments, thank you so much for yours.

Bobbi Miller said...

Maria, I just love House Mouse stamps! I think I have this little guy somewhere..l need to go search for him. He's so cute! As always, your coloring makes me so happy.... I love what you did here. Beautiful!

Debbie Mageed said...

Now that is one smart mouse, enjoying a cool glass of water on a hot summer day! This card is so cute! You did a wonderful job coloring this stamp, too. Thanks for playing along with the Paper Players this week!

Claire Broadwater said...

Maria, this is just adorable! Your coloring is fantastic! That little mouse is so cute diving in the lemonade! Such a perfect summer treat! SO glad you joined my challenge at The Paper Players this week! XX

Lisa Elton said...

HA~ How cute is this little fella! Thanks for sharing your fun card with us at the Paper Players!

Maria Rodriguez. said...

This little mice are so adorable, I hope you can find this image soon, thank you for stopping by.

Julee (Vervegirl) said...

Oh, this is just darling! Thanks for playing along with Mojo Monday!

Maria Rodriguez. said...

Thank you Mary, I think he found a great way to cool off!!!

Maria Rodriguez. said...

Thank you Debbie, I loved the sketch, it was perfect for this image.

Maria Rodriguez. said...

Thank you Claire, your theme was just perfect for this image.

Maria Rodriguez. said...

Thank you Lisa, it's always fun to share my cards with the Paper Players.

Maria Rodriguez. said...

Thank you Julee, the theme and the sketch were just so much fun to play with and this image fitted both challenges perfectly.

Bonnie said...

LOL, this looks like what I've wanted to do the past couple of weeks. But I'd like to up to my neck in the pool with a drink in my hand! Seriously, Maria, what a great job of coloring and a card to make us smile!

Charlene Stalker said...

Maria - I love your water coloring and I thanks for the steps on how to do it. I wrote it all down so that when I'm ready to give it a try - I will know exactly how a PRO does it. Thanks so much for the info and for sharing your works of art with us. You are truly ONE TALENTED LADY!