the creative closet by cindy lawrence

Concepts in Coloring Classes On the Road!

Hello, all you beautiful coloring enthusiasts!

 

Debbie & I are coming to Dallas to teach our Concepts in Coloring workshops on September 14th & 15th.

 

It's been a great summer; but we are stoked to get started teaching again! Click on the link for full details.

 

PS... It's coming up fast; so DO feel free to spread the word! AND THANK YOU! Hope to color with you soon! 🌈

 

http://www.creativecolorcafe.com/2018/07/were-coming-to-dallas.html

 

 

In case you didn't catch it, I've moved my blog! This one will no longer be here in about a month; so make sure you click over to my new one, scroll to the bottom, and subscribe!  Do not subscribe to THIS blog.  Click this link: https://cindylawrence.net/

Have a fabulous day, friends!

 

    

 

Lord, Have Mercy! I've Moved!

Hello, faithful friends!

I've been working hard behind the scenes to make the switch to a new platform, and it's finally done (enough) to go live.  Please click through the link below, and be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page to subscribe!  I don't want you to miss a thing!

I have a new post up today also, which is no small feet; so I'd be thrilled if you checked it out & took a moment to say, HI.

Here's a peek at today's project.  Click on it to get to my new site, cindylawrence.net.

See ya on the other side! 

~Cindy

 

Move the Soul!

Good morning, dear crafty friends!

Today I'm sharing a fun masculine card created with Power Poppy's awesome Move the Soul stamp set.  I actually managed to make a (mostly) one layer card for this one.

The road die I used is from MFT Stamps, as is the sun ray stencil I used for the background.  Isn't that a cool stencil?  I air-brushed it with Copic markers (R24/YR68/Y17) & my air-brush system.  I stamped the sentiment in black, and added a few black rhinestones to dress it up just enough.

The motorcycle image was stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black ink on X-Press It Blending Card, and colored with the following Copic Markers.


This card was created for our third son, who has an awesome red motorcycle that he really enjoys riding.  He also just happens to be turning 21 on Tuesday.  I know I say this with everyone of my children's birthdays; but, seriously, how did that happen so fast?!!  

Here's a look at the image up close.

See that spiky helmet?  No, the image doesn't come that way; but my son DOES have a helmet like that.  So, I just had to add the spikes.  He definitely has never been one to shy away from being exactly who he is.  I SO admire that quality in him!  He's such a kind, cool, & all-around great guy. :) 

Here's a peek at the inside of the card:


Inside I added another road die strip, stamped the image in orange, and stamped the sentiment & lightning bolts in black.

Be sure yo check out this week's Hues to Use challenge:

Aaaannddd...  This month's Power & Spark challenge:

Now swing on by the rest of the Bloom Brigade blogs to see their fabulous creations.

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence <---You are here!
Katie Sims
Marcella Hawley
Stacy Morgan

Have an amazing day, friends!  Thank you so much for spending a bit of your day with me!


~Cindy

 

A Watercolored Smile

Hello beautiful, creative friends!

Todays card was not colored with Copic Markers!  Can you believe it?!  It’s been a while since I pulled out my Peerless Watercolors, and the gorgeous leaves in the Big Sexy Leaves background stamp from Power Poppy seemed to just be begging to be watercolored.

I began by embossing the leaves in white on watercolor paper.  Once I finished water coloring them in pretty blues and purples, I did use my T10 Copic Marker to fill in the “background” areas.

A couple of simple die-cuts and some white card stock give the watercolored piece a fresh, modern look.  I stamped the word “smile” from the Big Scripts stamp set in Catherine Pooler’s rich, black ink.  That set just happens to be on sale right now too!

Here’s a peek at the inside of the card:

I used a left-over strip of the watercolored leaves and stamped the encouraging sentiment from M-Powering Words in bold black ink.

Check out the beautiful work done by my fellow Bloom Brigade designers:

Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence <--You are here!
Katie Sims
Marcella Hawley
Stacy Morgan

Thanks so very much for stopping by today, friends!  Have a most beautiful day!

 

~Cindy

 

It's a Power Poppy Digital Blitz!

Hello and happy Monday, friends!

Power Poppy is releasing 10 illustrations previously available exclusively as clear stamps — Now available as digital downloads TO PRINT, COLOR, CREATE! Every one is priced between $4 and $6!  I think that's pretty exciting!

Wanna see what sets they are?  Well, of course you do!

Here's the list, as well as a peek of some cards I've created with the clear versions:

Dahlia Digi 

Price: $6

Lady Slipper Orchid (from Orchids Rock)
Price: $5

Lilacs and Lemons (from Lilac Time)

Price: $5

 

 

Irresistible Peonies (from Peony Muse)

Price: $6

 

Perfect Poppies  (from Poppies set)

Price: $5

 

Farmers Market Veggies (from Farmers Market)

Price: $5

 

Waiter, There's a Parakeet in My Teacup (from Short Stacks)

Price: $5

 

Bring Home Some Sunflowers (from Sunny Harvest)

Price: $4

Tea Cake with Strawberries (from Tea in the Garden)

Price: $4

Wildflower Mini (from Go Wild)

Price: $4

That was a fun walk down memory lane!   

Here's a little something to sweeten the deal...

 

Power Poppy is also having a fantastic Summer Spree Sale!  Here are the deets:

25% OFF ALL DIGITAL + CLEAR IMAGES 

Use code: COLORINGCHALLENGE 

(only exclusion is the brand new "Creative and Curious Collection" stamps - those are regular price, and dies are not included in promotion)

 

- Ends June 30th 

- Unlimited amount of uses between promotion launch and ending

- Good towards in-stock stamps and all digis

The Bloom Brigade and Instant Gardeners have teamed up today to bring you some yummy goodness for the Digital Blitz.  Check 'em out!

Allison Cope
Barb Walker
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence <---You are here!
Elizabeth Zaffarano
Jessie Banks
Julie Koerber
Kathy Jones
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker

Go get 'em now, folks...and happy coloring!

~Cindy

 

 

Power Poppy & the 30 Day Coloring Challenge

Good morning creative and crafty friends!

Have you been playing along with the 30 Day Coloring Challenge?  I haven't nearly as much as I'd like to; but I do believe the last half of this month will afford me more time to color!  Our baby girl graduates from high school next weekend...sniff, sniff.  I will need the coloring therapy after that!

For my card, I chose to play with Power Poppy's Cheerful Columbine stamp set from the latest release.  I love every single little thing about the image in this set.  It just shouts "cheerful", and I'm all over that!

I stamped the image onto kraft cardstock (Neenah Desert Storm to be exact) using Memento Tuxedo Black ink.

I colored the image with Copic Markers.

When you color on kraft cardstock, the colors will be more muted than they are on white cardstock.  So, you'll probably want to bump up your colors to compensate for that.

This next photo shows the image fully colored. It's pretty; but it needs something.

Adding a background with a complementary color makes the image really stand out.  My final touch was using a white colored pencil to add highlights, accents, and bright white areas on the image.  Ahhh, NOW it's finished.   


Here's a look at the Copic colors I used:

...and a peek at the inside of the card as well.

Check out the awesome sale going on at Power Poppy right now!  Gotta love a good sale!  Grab these sets while they're such a great price!

*** SPECIAL SALE ***

 

Burst of Kindness clear - $12.99 - save $5

 Spring Meadow Bouquet digital - $2.99 - save $3

 

Sale price ends Saturday, June 9.

The Bloom Brigade and Instant Gardeners have teamed up to bring you lots of coloring goodness today.

Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence <---You are here!
Julie Koerber
Kathy Jones
Katie Sims
Tosha Leyendekker
Barb Walker
Nancy Sheads
Elizabeth Zaffarano

Have a fantastic weekend, friends!  Hope you get to do some coloring!

~Cindy

 

Power Poppy Peek AND Release Day!

 

Hello and happy Sunday to you, my crafty friends!

I'm back with a final peek at a brand new Power Poppy set.  Have you enjoyed this month's release?  So much stamping goodness! The best part is that it's ALL available to purchase TODAY! Now, that's a happy Sunday! 

The set I'm showcasing today is called Precious Baby, and it IS, indeed, precious!  I've been chomping at the bit ever since Marcy said she was creating a baby set.  You see, we are expecting our second granddaughter in just a month (eep!); so this one was extra fun for me to work with.


I worked with all white cardstock, and a few pretty patterned papers from Basic Grey's Fresh Cut and My Mind's Eye's A Mother's Love collections.  All of the dies I used are from MFT Stamps.  I stamped the image on X-Press It Blending Card with Memento Tuxedo Black ink, and colored it with the following Copic Markers.

Man, I love that soft color palette!  I can almost smell that sweet baby....sigh.

Here's a close-up look at the colored image:

I did not quite finish the inside of this one yet; but, don't you worry, I will! ;)

Be sure to stop by the rest of the Bloom Brigade blogs to see their fabulous release day creations!

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence <--You are here!
Julie Koerber
Kathy Jones
Katie Sims
Marcella Hawley
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker

Have an amazing day, and thanks for visiting!

~Cindy

 

Power Poppy Sneak Peek: Bee Kind Toile

Hello, crafty and creative friends!

I'm back with another sneak peek from this month's fabulous Power Poppy release!  Today I'm showcasing the absolutely darling set called Bee Kind Toile.  It's got everything you need to make a stunning toile background, a bee skep, a beehive cake, several bees, honeycomb, a sweet vintage banner, and a plethora of wonderful sentiments.  It's a big set with a LOT to offer! 


For my card, I chose to use the beehive cake image, a few bees buzzing in the background, and an encouraging sentiment.  The patterned paper I used is from Simple Stories Faith collection.  All of the dies I used are from MFT Stamps.

I stamped the beehive cake image in Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto X-Press It Blending Card, and colored it with the following Copic Markers.


Here's a peek at the inside of the card:

I stamped the bee skep in a mustard colored ink and the sentiment in black.  I highlighted a couple of the words in the sentiment with Copic Markers.  A strip of left-over patterned paper finishes off the inside detail beautifully.

Check out what the rest of the Bloom Brigade has in store for you today:

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence <---You are here!
Julie Koerber
Kathy Jones
Katie Sims
Marcella Hawley
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker

Thanks so much for visiting with me today!  Have a most fabulous Friday!

~Cindy

 

Power Poppy Sneak Peeks: Wild Mushrooms

Hello crafty friends!

I'm back with a sneak peek of the awesome new Wild Mushrooms stamp set from Power Poppy!  This set has so many fun and fantastic mushroom varieties, as well as a trio of perfect sentiments.

I chose to color up the pinwheel mushrooms image.  I was inspired by this photo:

Aren't they a unique and cool mushroom?!  I love the way they fade from dark brown up to their bright white tops.

It's a simple image to color.  I chose to stamp it on Desert Storm card stock from Neenah (aka: kraft card stock).  I used Memento Espresso Truffle ink, and the following Copic Markers.

As you can see from the photo above, I added touches of white Prismacolor pencil to brighten the white of the mushrooms on the kraft card stock.  I also used the white pencil to fill in the closed sections of the letters in the sentiment.

The patterned papers are from Authentique's Rugged collection, and the die-cut layers were created with dies from MFT Stamps.  I tied a sweet and simple bow using natural twine, and finished it off with a chocolate button.

Here's a look at the inside of the card:

I simply stamped the mushrooms and sentiment in Memento Espresso Truffle ink, colored them ever so slightly with Copic Markers, and added a strip of designer paper at the top.

Hop on over to the rest of the Bloom Brigade blogs to see their fabulous creations.

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence <---You are here!
Julie Koerber
Katie Sims
Marcella Hawley
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker

Have a most beautiful day, friends!  Thanks so much for visiting with me!

~Cindy

 

Power Poppy Creative & Curious Sneak Peeks!

Good morning, crafty friends!

I'm so excited to share with you that Power Poppy has a brand-new release, and the sneak peeks begin right this very moment!  Wait until you see the gorgeousness in store for you over the next week!  Better get a drool bib....just sayin'. ;)

Today the Bloom Brigade is showcasing the Poppy XL set and the Big Sexy Leaves background.  Both of them are ahhhhhmazing!  My card uses Poppy XL.

I stamped that big, beautiful bloom onto Desert Storm cardstock by Neenah using Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  I then colored it with Copic Markers and added highlight accents with a white Prismacolor colored pencil.  I haven't colored on kraft paper in a bit, and I thought this flower would look so pretty on it. A touch of Wink of Stella sparkle makes it a little more special.

Here are the Copic Markers I used:

How's that for not using too many colors for a change?!

Here's a peek at the inside of my card:

The patterned paper I used is from Bo Bunny's Serenade collection.

Before you head off for the day, you'll want to check out the rest of the Bloom Brigade blogs to see their fabulous creations.

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence <---You are here!
Julie Koerber
Kathy Jones
Katie Sims
Marcella Hawley
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker

Have a beautiful day, friends!  Thanks so much for visiting!

 

~Cindy

 

Vitamin Me!

 

Hello, dear readers!

Power Poppy has a pretty awesome Power & Spark challenge this month, and it really has nothing to do with making cards.  Well, actually, it "could".  Let me explain...

The challenge this month is all about getting enough "Vitamin Me".  Are you taking time to recharge your battery?  Are you doing things that feed your soul?  Are you allowing yourself to seize the day?  Gosh, this is SUCH an important concept, especially in today's world that is so full of distraction and "busy-ness".  It's a common struggle, isn't it?  I know I fight it regularly.

There are a few things I do to refresh my soul. The most important one for me is to have some regular quiet time with God.  I have not always been good at carving out that time.  I really have to get up at a rather "unGodly" hour to make it happen. Hah.  How's that for ironic? I can tell you for certain that it changes the course of my day when I make it happen.


Spending time with my 2 year old granddaughter has become another of my favorite battery recharging activities.  Now you may be thinking a toddler is more likely to be a battery drainer than a charger; but she has made me slow down, take naps, read lots of books, and see the AMAZINGNESS of every. little. thing.  I highly recommend spending some quality time with a toddler. <3 

Of course, you know I'm going to have to include coloring on this list.  When I get the chance to color up a beautiful image (and I'm not rushing for a deadline), it is so immensely satisfying. ART can be a fantastic soul-filler, my friends.  Since you're here on my blog, I know you love it too.  I hope you are able to take some time to create something you find to be beautiful. 

There are so many other things that feed my soul...nature, photography, outdoor activities, decorating my home, friends, quality family time, travel, etc.  I'm sure you have a list as well.  So, why don't you take some time to do something today that fuels YOUR soul! 

Let me encourage you to grab a cup of your favorite warm beverage, and feed your soul with more of the Bloom Brigade blogs, and their stories of what fuels their souls.

Allison Cope

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence <---You are here!

Julie Koerber

Marcella Hawley

Stacy Morgan

Have a blessed, soul-recharging kind of day!  I have my granddaugher today; so I know I will! :)

~Cindy

 

It's a Big, BIG Day for Creative Color Café!

I am so SO excited to announce a new business venture with my sweet and oh-so-talented friend, Debbie Olson!  We'll be back in action teaching Copic coloring classes at various locations in the US and, hopefully, Canada as well.  Our first Creative Color Café Concepts in Coloring classes are open and ready for YOU to register! Debbie and I have been working diligently behind the scenes for a few months now to develop new curriculum and find fabulous images from stamp companies to incorporate into that curriculum. 

Our first classes will be in the Peachtree City area of Atlanta on May 4-5, and our second set of classes will be in Boston on June 1-2.

More details can be found HERE, as well as a link to subscribe for future class updates!  If you have a specific location you'd like us to teach, click on the "Contact Us" link at the top of the page, and tell us!

We would so love to have you join us!  We guarantee a fun and educational experience!

Have a beautiful day!

 

~Cindy

 

 

Spring Has Sprung....Well Almost!

Hello, & a very happy Friday to you, friends!

Can you believe the first day of spring is in just a few days?  You'd never know it here in New Hampshire...snow, snow everywhere.  I am hearing that we're getting another snow storm next week too.  I don't know about you; but I am SO ready for spring!

I had a little fun creating a super quick card with Power Poppy's newest digital stamp set, Cup of Columbine.  I, of COURSE, adore the stunning flowers & sweet teacup in this set; but my very first thought when I saw this set was to use just the robin & egg.  Sometimes it's just fun to create a simple card, don't you think? 

The patterned paper I used is an oldie-but-goodie from Prima, called Alla-Prima. I printed the black-line image onto X-Press It Blending Card, & colored it with Copic Markers.  I used my Scor Buddy to score a couple of lines at the top, and rounded the bottom corners.  A simple bit of striped teal twine, and three yellow enamel dots dress the card up just a bit.

I did print out the entire image in a pale blue for the inside of the card.  Both the inside & outside sentiments are from the Lilac Time stamp set, and were stamped in Memento Espresso Truffle ink.


Here's a peek at the Copic Markers I used:

I used both warm & cool grays, as well as earth tones to color the robin.  What fun she was to color!

Check out the Cup of Columbine digital stamp set, and get yours today:

Next up, you'll want to swing by the rest of the Bloom Brigade blogs to see their fabulous creations!

Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence <---You are here!
Julie Koerber
Katie Sims
Marcella Hawley
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker

Have a terrific day, friends!  Thanks so much for visiting with me today!

 

~Cindy

 

 

A Little Perseverance & Fabric Inspiration

Hello & a very happy Friday to you, friends!

Remember last week when I was so frustrated with the image I colored?  Well, it sat most of the week on my desk.  I could neither bring myself to throw it out, or make it into a card.  Finally, I turned it into a card yesterday. ...and I don't hate it.  So, that's good, right? Haha!  

I used Power Poppy's Rose All Day digital stamp.  It is SUCH a stunning image, and it comes in both a black line version and a no-lines version.  I chose to work with the no-lines version for my card.

I printed out the no-lines image onto X-Press It Blending Card, and colored it with, ummm....just a "few" Copic Markers.

So, yeah, pretty much all of them. Haha!  I used a lot of earth tones and grays for this one, as I wanted it to have a darker, moody feel.  I was also doing a little fabric matching in honor of this month's fabulous Power & Spark Challenge.

You definitely want to play along with this challenge!  Click on the graphic above for all the details.

The fabric I was inspired by I was actually wearing last week when I began coloring this image.  It's a pair of my favorite LuLaRoe leggings.  Check it out:

Pretty, right?  Once I finished coloring the image, I colored the entire background with a T9 marker, and added a smattering (love that word) of opaque white dots with my white Kirarina Wink Pen.

Be sure to swing by Allison's, Kathy's, & Tosha's blogs to see their gorgeous creations today!

Have a fabulous Friday!

 

~Cindy

 

 

Power Poppy Power & Spark Monthly Challenge

Hey everyone~

It's time for Power Poppy's monthly Power & Spark Challenge!  Yhis month the fabulous Ally has challenged us to be inspired by fabric!

Here's what she said:

"We find inspiration all around us!  I always am gawking at the amazing fabrics we wear, fabrics we use to upholster our furniture and the fabrics we lay over us at night. So this month, take a look at some fabric swatches that inspire you and use them as a stepping stone to create a fun card."

I absolutely LOVE this idea for a challenge!  I chose a fun fabric pattern (a favorite pair of LuLaRoe leggings), and went to town coloring up a very detailed no-line image from the stunning Rose All Day digital stamp set.  I spent several hours coloring this image yesterday, and well... I'm still not finished with it.  I'm a little rusty in my coloring since taking so much time off to recuperate from my surgery; so at about 10:30pm last night I called it a day. I just bit off more than I could chew. So, I'll post my finished card & fabric inspiration sometime in the coming week. :)  

For now, you can check out the fabulous creations from the other Bloom Brigade designers, and definitely play along with this month's awesome challenge!

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence <---You are here!
Julie Koerber
Stacy Morgan

Have an amazing Friday, friends!

 

~Cindy