Happy Newt Year!

Hello, hello! =) Every January my work gives us the chance to sell off some of our vacation time. I usually cash in so I can pay off Christmas bills and the like. This year I decided to invest in some anti-stress medication:

Prettiest meds I've ever seen  =)

I had a chance in July and then in September due to an out-of-stock raincheck to pick up some Copics at low prices (well, as low as Copic could get). I like ProMarkers, but I'm finding it easier to learn to color with the Copics, especially when it comes to choosing good colors to blend. Once I get more experienced, I know I'll be able to pick ProMarker colors better, too. And pencil colors, for that matter. But for now... I'll practice with Copics. The company ran another sale in December and now these beauties join my collection and are all organized and tucked away in a nice little rainbow on my desk. =) Don't hate. LOL  I spent the weekend coloring, blending, recoloring... and binning. LOL Most of my work ended in the bin, but that was ok. Mistakes = learning, right?

So... I saw this terrific New Year Newt over at Hambo stamps. I got done too late last night to enter the challenge with him, but I had fun anyway in this colorful, kind of masculine Newt Year card:

He's a digi, so I printed him and colored eveerything but his shirt in Copics. I really like how his head came out.with the dots. Kind of froggy-like. =) I planned to paper piece his shirt, but the tie-dye glitter cardstock was too thick, so I ended up doing something I don't want to do again for a very long time... I cut out the white space inside the lines to glue it over the cardstock. I had to use my black Copics to darken up all the lines on his shirt and I put buttons back on with some black enamel.

I have a stash from many years ago of holographic film samples. My inner crafty child's shiny quotient needed addressing. ;) I love how holographic materials give off that rainbow as they flash in the light. Hopefully I captured some of that for you in my pics. Turn it one way and get blues and pinks, turn it another and get greens and reds... It keeps me occupied for hours. hahahahaha 

I also couldn't wait to use another playtoy... the Star Circle Nestabilities!

I used a precious metals Recollections cardstock I picked up at Michaels, but it was too much white over the dark blue textured Wausau paper, so I used a circle Nestie to made it a ring of stars. I used the little star punchouts with some gems and a bit of silver metallic pen, a star Nestie cut out of some of the tie-dye paper and a sentiment done in Word in a matching orange-yellow hue. Ta-da! Very suitaable for a boy, I think.

Since I missed the Hambo challenge this week, I'm entering him in these...

Dutch Dare Challenge - New Beginnings (New Year!)

Inky Impressions - Anything Goes

Paper Play - Week 1 Happy New Year (New Year, new stash!)

Crafty Catz - #114  A New Beginning (New Year)

Fairy Tales - #32 Something New  (New digi, new Nestie, new Copics, New Year!)

Paper Cutz - #120 Brand New Year

Crazy4Challenges - C4C118 Do Something New (New digi, new dotty skin coloring, new Nesties!)

7 Kids College Fund - #38 Try Something New (New papers, new digi, new technique (dotty green skin), new Nesties)

That's it for now... I might be back tonight with a Bugaboo creation if I can get it done before bedtime, otherwise, I will see you tomorrow! Til then, happy crafting!
Christy