Jane Designs

2011-04-25T13:03:00.001-07:00

Unbelivable! There's not a single rubber stamp used on this card. It was made for a Blue, Orange and White challenge from Cheryl's Creative Stamping Pad group.
The base card is white, and the blue striped paper is from a pad of paper by Hot Off the Press. The orange background paper is from Basic Grey, and I dry embossed it with the Leafy Branch folder from Cuttlebug. I punched one end of the Basic Grey paper with a lacy punch by Martha Stewart, and I topped it with a reproduction of an orange crate label from Laughing Elephant (www.laughingelephant.com)
Everyone needs a pet or two to keep him or her on the straight and narrow. In January we adopted a little black, gray and white kitty named Piper ... or as we sometimes call her "Little Devil" or "She-Devil". This cat loves paper. She loves it to bits! I can't begin to tell you how many cardboard boxes or sheets of paper she has chewed up. The strips of paper from our shredder are no longer safe. Every scrapbooker and/or stamper needs a cat who loves paper. Keeps life interesting and makes a person thankful for a cat who simply likes to take a nap on a paper bag.

2011-04-24T19:23:00.000-07:00

Isn't this little carousel horse adorable? He's a digital image that I downloaded in response to two challenges. One challenge was to use a digital image by Beccy Muir, and the other challenge is an ATC featuring a carousel. I made the ATC, mounted it on a brown and then a red flowered background for the card challenge. Since I made it with removable tape, I can easily detach the carousel horse image.
The image itself was colored with Copic markers ... gotta love those things! What doesn't show up in the scan is the metallic shine on the pole, stirrup, bridle and decorative trim on the blanket because I colored those in Copic's Buttercup Yellow and then went over them with the clear Spica pen.
Happy Easter, everyone!

2011-04-22T23:12:00.000-07:00

I thought this digistamp was just adorable when I first saw it, but after it was colored, it came to life. How many little girls have fed their dolls. I did, and I'm sure a lot of you did, too.
I found this image on one of my groups, and it fit the theme for a swap on another group. I colored it with Copic markers and with PrismaColor pencils and Gamsol (from Inky Antics). I used one of the Nestabilites to cut out the image and mounted it on peach card stock. The patterned paper was from a 12x12 pad, and I think it may have been by DCWV.
This was such a fun card to make, and I find the Copic markers and Gamsol/pencils work so well on the image printed by an inkjet printer. There's no smearing, and even the tiniest areas are easy to color.

2011-04-18T21:43:00.000-07:00

Have you ever gone through a bout of Rubber Rot? I have been cursed with it for several months but have now emerged with stamp in hand and ready to rock.

This card is one I made for a CASE challenge on Card Camp, and it was one that came together quickly. The base of the card is maroon card stock layered with a light gray. On top of that is a piece of patterned paper which I ran through my printer, using gray ink and a saying concerning spring. I then stamped the Penny Black image with Jet Black StazOn ink and let it dry. I colored it with PrismaColor pencils and Gamsol. I also printed the sentiment on the pink patterned paper and cut it and the maroon card stock using my Cuttlebug and two of the Nestabilities label dies. I attached a sheer pink sparkly ribbon across the layers of the card and then topped it with a self-adhesive paper lace. The saying was mounted on the card using foam tape. Because the base card was so dark, I added some of the pink paper inside the card.

In Memory

2011-03-13T22:24:00.000-07:00

IN MEMORY

Monique Sijstermans

December 10, 1973 - March 6, 2011

2010-11-09T15:30:00.001-08:00

On Saturday I took a Gatefold Album class at Scrapville in Greenville. What a cute album! When I manage to find the digital camera, I will upload pictures of it to my blog.
In the meantime, I bought some beautiful paper and a small set of "Inchies" at the store, so I had to come home and create. The challenge I made this card for is called "Fly Away" and features anything that flies. I used birds, bugs and butterfly stamps and Adirondack's Wild Plum ink to stamp the images on white CS. The patterned paper was double-sided, so I mounted the images to the back side of the paper and then to a slightly larger piece of white CS. I then tied a white striped ribbon around it before mounting it on the card. The base of the card is white CS with the floral paper mounted on it.
I have designed two different Christmas cards and will be posting them soon. It seems Thanksgiving is almost upon us so Christmas is sure to follow in a hurry.
I'm not basically a football fan, but I have been a Dallas Cowboys fan for years. This year the team has been just sorry. How embarrassing is it to have the newest, most modern stadium in the sports world and a Super Bowl coming up and a sorry, sorry home team. All those high-dollar players need to get out there and do their jobs! That's what they're paid for, and professional football is not a sport ... it's a business. We'll see what happens under new leadership.

2010-10-30T10:28:00.000-07:00

So much of what I have posted on my blog has been the simple stuff. Today I'm posting this journal I made for a swap along with instructions for it ... if I can remember them. I made it a long time ago but kept the scan of it, thinking I might want to make another one when I get a Round Tuit. That day hasn't come yet.

The front and back of the journal was covered with a speckled mauve paper, and I stamped flourished down the side using a mauve ink. I stamped the main image on a plain scrap of mauve CS using black ink and then cut it out with deckle-edged scissors. I mounted it on a wine CS scrap and rounded the corners. The words "beauty" and "time" are stamped above and below the mounted image. Charms, a flat-backed key, and frilly fibers finish it off.

I'm in a Christmas-card-making mode today, and I have completed at least five of the nearly 300 cards I have to finish by Thanksgiving. At least 135 of the cards are cut, printed, scored and folded. Most of the layers are already cut, Cuttlebugged and stamped, too. Right now, though, I need to go check my whole wheat bread which is in the final stage of rising, and then it's back to cardmaking.

Today is a beautiful day in Texas. I hope it stays that way after the Rangers try to beat the SF Giants tonight in Game 3 of the World Series.

2010-10-24T18:43:00.000-07:00

This is another one of the 3"x3" gift cards I made using mainly scraps of paper. The 6"x3" strip of aqua card stock used for the card base was a scrap. So was the strip of darker aqua that I ran through the Cuttlebug using the Swiss Dots folder. I cut it in two pieces and attached a strip to the top and one to the bottom of the card. The flower was cut from scrapbook paper using the Cricut. I attached a white Prima flower to it using an aqua brad. The leaves were stamped with Marvy Matchables' Jungle on white CS and cut out by hand. The flower and leaves were then mounted to the card using foam tape.
We had a very welcome thunderstorm yesterday which left our yards full of much needed rain. This afternoon and evening there has been a lot of damage to the east and south of us as tornadoes touched down and baseball-sized hail hit. The small town of Rice had damage to the high school, reports of multiples injuries, and people trapped in cars. Hopefully the storms have calmed down by now. Whether it's rushing wind or rushing water, Mother Nature can play havoc with our lives almost too quickly for words.

2010-10-23T23:07:00.001-07:00

This is an ATC I made today for a swap challenge. The magenta background is a candy wrapper from Hershey's Raspberry Bliss candy. I pressed it open and smoothed it before trimming it to fit the ATC. The images were stamped with Adirondack's Watermelon ink and outlined with a Spica glitter pen.
Since I have been a huge Texas Rangers fan for years, last night was such a sweet victory! The Rangers will face the San Francisco Giants in the World Series. Since both teams are underdogs, it will be interesting to see which team comes out snarling and attacking like a pit bull. Go Rangers!

2010-10-22T09:44:00.000-07:00

What a fun evening last night! I met with a local ATC group for our monthly exchange, and then three of us went shopping at the magazine racks at Barnes & Noble. After that, we went across the street to eat at LaMadeline while we talked, exchanged ideas, and browsed each other's magazines.
If you haven't seen the latest issue of Stampers' Sampler's Take Ten, you should. There are some great cards in theere. I bought the current issue of CardMaker magazine and am delighted with the Christmas and Hanukah cards featured.

The October swap challenge for one of my groups was to make three small gift cards. I used a 6"x3" strip for paper folded in half for each gift card. The words "To" and "From" were stamped on the inside of the cards. The first one was a dark green base with a smaller Cuttlebugged square of mint green mounted on it. The ornaments were stamped on an even smaller piece of mint green CS using Adirondack's Bottle ink. It was then mounted on dark green CS and attached to the card using foam tape.

If you have never made gift cards, they are a great way to use up scraps of CS with beautiful results. Try it ... you'll like it!

2010-10-21T08:09:00.000-07:00

This quick, simple card was made using paint chips, colored paper, and a skeleton leaf stamped with Adirondack's Terra Cotta dye ink. The embellishments are Dew Drops from The Robin's Nest.
The colors of fall, at one time my least favorite, are now ones I love to work with. There are never ending combinations using these colors. Try them and enjoy the results!

2010-10-19T09:25:00.000-07:00

It has been so long since I have posted anything that I have almost forgotten how to do it. After several months of Rubber Rot, which is a serious disease for any rubber stamper, I have been creating cards and using the Cricut and Cuttlebug more and more. Do you have any idea how quickly you can cut out a sheet of snowflakes with a Cricut? Zip, zip, zoom ... and they're done.

One of the groups I belong to did an image swap, and the challenge was for us to make a card with one of the images. Here is the card I made using a handmade card stock for the base and paper scraps I found in my stash.

2010-03-30T17:49:00.000-07:00

It's spring time in Texas, and I'll be our friends in the northeast part of the country could say the same thing. Spring is not just a season ... it's an attitude.
I traveled around town today, doing some banking, picking up prescriptions and, most importantly, going to a beautiful park to watch the ducks. The duck population in the little park has grown quite a bit over the last few years, and today I saw twelve tiny ducklings bobbing about in the water. With wind gusts about 25-30 mph, they were being swept back and forth, but they continued to paddle after the larger ducks.
The image above is an ATC I made for a swap calling for the Color Purple. The base is purple CS, and then I used a floral lavender print on top and punched the corners with the SU ticket punch. Over that went another layer of purple without the corners punched. I stamped irises on an lavender paper and colored it with Copic markers. I then used the oval Nestabilities on the image and the scalloped oval Nestabilites on a darker lavender paper. Finished it with flat-backed pearls.

2010-03-26T17:47:00.000-07:00

FAREWELL TO WINTER!

This card was made featuring a record snowfall in North Texas on February 11, 2010, about 6:30 a.m. I used a broom and a dustpan since we don't own a snow shovel to clear our front walk so I could walk down to the main sidewalk and take the picture while looking down the street. The street was silent, and the snow was still falling, creating a beautiful world for us to enjoy. The snow continued to fall all day and into the night until we had over 12" at our home.

We thought that was the end of winter for us ... and it was in a sense. The first day of spring we got another 4-1/2" of snow, officially marking the end of winter.

When I was a lot younger and lived in the northern part of the Midwest, I wondered why my in-laws took pictures every time it snowed in Texas. Having lived here for many years, I now know the answer. Snow is so rare down here that it merits making memories with a camera.

The card was made using mainly CS, corner punches, patterned paper and corner rounders. The snowflake embellishment was made using Nestabilities and navy ribbon.

It seems almost impossible that so much time has past since I posted on my blog. I have been involved in making cards to send to the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and I encourage all of the stampers and scrapbookers to join me in the effort. I send my cards to a stamper in Missouri who is able to forward them to chaplains for distribution to the troops. If you are interested, go to http://www.fromourhearts.info/ for details.

2010-01-18T14:27:00.000-08:00

This card was made using a new set of stamps from TPC and Basic Grey background paper.

This card was made using a background stamp from Great Impressions, a Route 66 stamp from Seaside Stampin Ink, luggage from Hero Arts, and a car from Classic Status Stamp Co. I have had the car stamp for a long time, but I think the company is now out of business. If not, I would love more of their classic cars.

This card was made using a Hero Arts penguin, but I'm not sure which clear stamp set the "Snow Place Like Home" was from. The snowflakes in the corners were punched from a shiny cardstock which doesn't show up here.

I used the Candy Stripe folder for the Cuttlebug as a background and colored it with Salmon ink from Adirondack using the direct to paper method. The frames are from DeNami Designs, and I can't tell you where the shoes are from. I took them off the wood blocks, remounted them on cling foam, and didn't write down the name of the stamp companies.

Until the next inking, have fun stamping and scrapping!

2010-01-04T08:55:00.001-08:00

Since I have been stamping for so many years using numerous techniques, I find it strange that I had never done the Soot technique until I made the above card for a group swap. The one I chose to do is the Reverse Soot Technique. After applying the soot to the glossy card stock, I inked my stamp (Forest Fairy from Elemental Doodles) with VersaMark ink and stamped it. I then used a soft paper towel to lightly remove the soot from the card stock and ended with an image that looks as if it had been stamped with black ink. To keep the soot from further smearing, I used a spray sealer to set the images. The little "ovals" in the corners are actually round dark pink flat-backed pearls, but the light from the scanner makes them appear to be ovals.
It's hard to believe that the month of December flew by without a single post from me. It was a wonderful month filled with family, fun and laughter. I sincerely hope that all of you had a great holiday season.

2009-11-23T09:17:00.000-08:00

In spite of our best intentions, Thanksgiving seems to give way to the upcoming December holidays. This is a card I am in the process of making. Although it is quite simple, it does require precision cutting on all four layers.
Heat embossing with white is always a challenge. I know this is a snowflake, but I don't want to have extra flakes on the card. The anti-static bags work well to keep the background clean.
Until next time, have a great Thanksgiving ... and keep designing.

2009-11-07T08:01:00.000-08:00

The challenge was Fall Colors, and it worked so well by doing paper piecing for the clothing. It's hard to find patterned paper with a pattern small enough to use for clothing, but this one works.
Cleaning and rearranging has its own set of rewards. I now have three empty drawers in my stamp room, but they will soon be full. Now ... back to cleaning, sorting and rearranging.

2009-11-04T20:46:00.000-08:00

It's a Bella sort of day ... and this Bella chef has her turkey and pie ready for dinner. Seems like Thanksgiving is just around the corner.
Enjoy the card and get ready for a feast in just a few short weeks.

2009-10-30T19:04:00.001-07:00

Okay, so October is all about Halloween ... unless there are Christmas party invitations to be made and sent out. That is the case with the above invitation which is for the HAM (Amateur Radio) Association's Christmas party.
This invitation is 5"x7", and the wording of the invitation inside was computer generated in red ink. The first layer is a red card stock, and the white layer on top of that has been run through the Cuttlebug using the Swiss Dots folder. Since the folder is smaller than the larger-sized card, I used my Scor-It and made dry embossed lines on three sides.
The image is from Stamping Bella and was colored with Copic markers and highlighted on the holly berries with Christmas Red Stickles. I used the round and scalloped Nestabilities to cut the circles and embellished the invitation with a red ribbon.
Now ... it's back to the ghosties and ghoulies because, after all, it is still October, and Halloween is yet to come!

2009-10-13T08:23:00.001-07:00

This month is about Halloween ... in the stores next to the Christmas stuff, in the neighborhoods, in the schools and on the blogs.
This witchy witch is from Stamping Bella. She was stamped with Jet Black StazOn and allowed to dry well ... oh, for about a year. (It doesn't pay to get too enthused, does it?) Since she had dried for so long, I was able to color her using Copic markers without smearing the dimpled darling. Even witches get tired of black hats, so hers is orange.
The card was made from orange CS with white CS on top. The white CS was Cuttlebugged Swiss Dots. I used the oval and scalloped oval Nestabilities to cut the image and background CS. A flat-back plastic haunted house was used as an embellishment.
I received several new sets of Elemental Doodles stamps in the mail last week and will be working on cards featuring those stamps.
Elemental Doodles has been named the October Vendor of the Month by Stampers Corner. The group address is StampersCorner@yahoogroups.com. If you are a member of this group ... or become a member ... there are special discounts on ED stamps being offered through the group.
Kudos to my fellow design team members for being published using ED stamps:
Connie - October Vamp Stamp News / Look for her card on the back page
Etha - Fall 2009 issue of Just Cards

2009-10-11T20:06:00.000-07:00

It's October already?
How can that be? Where did March go?
It's been way too long since I have posted on my blog, but I will do my best to keep pace with life in the future.
This card was another simple card to make, and I used a black card with black spider web patterned paper on top of it. The skeleton image is a Tim Holtz design from Stampers Anonymous, and the cat image is by Inkadinkadoo. Both were stamped and heat embossed with black detail EP from JudiKins and were then layere on black CS and beige CS. The skeleton image was mounted directly to the card, and the cat image was mounted with foam dots.
I have new images from Elemental Doodles and will be in the ED Design mode this coming week. I spent last weekend in another city playing Cricut with my sister-in-law from MA. What fun! We also went shopping at Michael's and Big Lots. It's amazing what one can find in those two stores, and it's even better when they are located side by side.

2009-09-19T05:23:00.001-07:00

This card was done for a sketch challenge, and although it doesn't show well, the colors were black, white and silver. Images were sent to me in a swap as was the beautiful black and silver ribbon.
I didn't realize that it had been so long since I posted anything on my blog, but since the last time, I have caught up with all my swaps and spent a week in the mountains of Colorado. What a wonderful, relaxing time I spent with my best friend. We read, watched movies, played on our computers, shopped, and toured the countryside. I slept so well and relaxed so much that I'm not sure I have any bones in my body!
I didn't even have a chance to miss my kitties too much because Karen brought her beautiful cats with her. I have pictures of her little furballs, so perhaps you will get to take a peek at them tomorrow.
Enjoy your day.

2009-08-29T03:41:00.000-07:00

Cats always make good subjects for pet pages, and ours are no exception.

Background scrapbook paper was exactly what was needed to coordinate with the flourish stamp from the Just a Note stamp set from Elemental Doodles.

Next pet page will be of our Maine coon mix cat Tawny. I had laid out a stack of scrapbook paper on the bed after finding this paper shown here. When I went back in the bedroom, Tawny had pulled down the duvet and curled up under the stack of paper.

Now if only I could teach her how to cute and glue the pages for me!

2009-08-28T04:27:00.000-07:00

Black and white with one bright ... that was the challenge. This is the card.

Cuttlebug and Nestabilities. Love them. They make life in the round so much easier.

So do background paper, rubber stamps, Copic markers and ribbon.

My favorite scrapbook store is having a 50% off sale through Sunday, and here I am on a negative scrapbook budget. It's way past time I use the goodies I own.

2009-08-16T17:56:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time ... not so very long ago ... we had the nosiest kitty known to mankind. I always knew when she had been in my stamp stuff because she would have glitter in the corner of her eyes.
This layout was done using red Bazzill card stock, blue textured card stock, and an cream card stock that had small black flecks in it that look like pepper. I thought it was appropriate since Stamp Kitty's name was Pepper. I used the dragonfly and flourish from the new Mini Heavenly Tea stamp set by Elemental Doodles. I colored the wings of the dragonflies with the Ice Blue Twinkling H2O. Embellishments are simple ... Class A Peel stickers from Stampendous frame the page. I used my computer to print the words since I have very little patience for stamping, cutting and/or gluing letters to a page.
I hope everyone has had a great weekend. I spent it stamping most of the time except for to forage food at a wonderful Mexican restaurant this evening. My tummy is full, and my stamps are calling me.

2009-08-10T17:36:00.000-07:00

This was such a fun card to make. I used my new Small Pinking Circles Nestabilities to create an orange, yellow and green circle and wrapped them with thread. I stacked them without using foam tape between layers. In the center is an orange circle and then a smaller, lighter orange circle that I stamped the teacup from the Elemental Doodles Friendship Tea set. The stars in the background are also from the same set.
I have forgotten to mention that ED has some new templates that are so cool ... and they're free for you to download. There are two ATC sized sets and one to use as a candy bar wrapper. When you print them out, they are in a pale gray so that you can use all those little solid stamps to form and oval or rectangle. Go to http://www.elementaldoodles.com/ and click on the FREE DOWNLOADS. You'll love these if you like the kind of designs that form a "frame" for the solid stamps. If any of you have ever used or seen the Stamps by Judith pages, you'll love these templates.
While you're on the web site, sign up for their newsletter. You may also want set up your gift registry ... just in case someone near and dear would like to give you a treat but doesn't know what you have or would like. And, of course, you can always mention to that near and dear someone that gift certificates are available.

2009-08-09T09:19:00.001-07:00

Baby girl card? Why not try this. Cut a piece of dark orange CS to A2 size and set aside. Fold 4-1/4" x 11" peach CS legthwise. Draw or trace pattern of baby "onesie", making sure the shoulder seam is on the fold line; cut out. Cut 2 small pockets and glue to "onesie". Stamp flower from Elemental Doodles' Friendship Tea set across top of pockets and around edges of the "onesie" with Adirondack's Terra Cotta ink. Use fine orange pen to draw stitch lines around pockets. Attach white button brads to card.

2009-08-04T00:00:00.001-07:00

Isn't this stamp beautiful? I bought it at a garage sale last year and never used it until yesterday. I am posting it so that I can write down how I did this because I used several different techniques on the card.
I used an aqua Mica Magic reinker to pour some ink over glossy card stock. I then placed a sheet of acrylic over it and "smooshed" it around. (Smooshed is a new stamping term I've learned that fits the occasion.) After removing the acrylic sheet, I dried it with my heat gun. I inked the stamp (Magnolia Floral by Stamps Happen) with black VersaFine ink and stamped it on glossy card stock. Heat embossed it using clear EP.
I then used the Copic blender to remove the color from the magnolia blossoms. I colored them with a light pink Copic marker and added a darker pink using a Prismacolor pencil. I blended the dark pink with Gamsol and a paper stump. The rest of the image was colored with Copic markers.
For the darker edges and corners, I used green and aqua Copic markers and blended them with the Copic blender. Over the top of this I used a spruce green Twinkling H2O to create a watercolor effect. As you can image, the H2O beaded up on the glossy CS so I dabbed it with a soft paper towel. All in all, I was pleased with the effect ... but more importantly, I was happy to be able to play with paints.
Good news today! The new Design Team for Elemental Doodles was announced, and I am once again on the team. What fun! My official enabler, Alex, was the one who sent me the information originally about the first design team challenge. This time I sent her the info ... she tried out and is one of the new Design Team members. Congratulations, Alex!

2009-08-03T13:16:00.000-07:00

I love this card! But then, I love hot fudge banana splits.
The patterned paper was some I bought from a special on HSN a loooong time ago. I like it and have hoarded it for years. The strip with the saying (Art Impressions) was stamped with Marvy Matchables' Dark Brown on a piece of CS from Coredinations. The border punch is from EKSuccess.
The ice cream scoop (Penny Black) was stamped, colored, cut out and mounted with foam tape. The scoop and spoon were colored with a silver Spica pen; the whipped cream and banana were colored with a white pen. I used Copic markers for the other colors.
Let's all scream for ice cream!

2009-07-28T11:31:00.001-07:00

It's hard to be sad about a rainy day when you see such a happy little chick as this one.
You can also tell that I have some new toys! One of them is the set of Small Pinking Circles Nestabilities, and the other one is a border punch from EK Success. I bought both of them at the Heirloom Rubber Stamp Convention at Grapevine from the Stamp On It booth. To me, their display of the Nestabilities was well done, and I liked the fact that I was able to use the border punch on sample card stock at the booth. I have been disappointed with the Fiskars and Martha Stewart border punches because they will not punch card stock. The EK Success punches will.
To make the card, I used an orange card stock for the base with a lighter orange dotted CS layered on top. Before I layered it, I punched a border on the right side. I liked the effect of the narrow strip so left it instead of trimming it as I had originally intended to do.
I used the Pinking Circles Nestabilities to punch an orange circle and a smaller yellow circle. The yellow circle was punched from a paint chip. I wound a darker orange thread around the orange circle, mounted it on the card and mounted the yellow stamped image on top. I stamped the Shower Chick image from Stampendous using Jet Black StazOn ink. I colored the umbrella, flower and beak with Copic markers and had a bit of trouble using them on the paint chip. I found that I had to use a marker that was several shades darker and had to use a dotting motion instead of a dragging motion in order to get the alcohol ink to adhere to the paint chip. I let the first layer dry and then colored it again before I could get the color as well defined as I wanted it to be.
The sentiment was stamped on regular CS and mounted on the darker orange. Since I have divided my clear stamps up so that the same sentiments go in one CD case, I don't know the name of the company that sells this stamp.
That's all, folks. See you tomorrow ... or whenever I get a round TUIT!

2009-07-23T10:39:00.000-07:00

I found a new stamp company, or at least new to me, at the Heirloom convention in Grapevine this week. It's called Eccentric Images, and they are that indeed. I loved this little Queen Bee so much that I couldn't wait to use the stamp.
Card base is yellow cardstock, and the patterned paper is adhered to a green CS and placed on the card base. I stamped the bee on more of the yellow and mounted it on the solid green and then on the prepared card. The words were stamped with black ink, and the "Queens Rock" image was punched with a Stampin' Up oval punch. I punched a larger oval out of the solid green and sanded the edges lightly so the white core would show. It's mounted using foam tape. The bee is lightly colored with Twinkling H2Os and with darker Copic markers.
I can't wait to buy more stamps from Eccentric Images. They are available in both mounted and unmounted versions.

2009-07-20T22:49:00.000-07:00

I joined a group recently that uses only Magenta stamps. I have been a fan of Magenta for years and was privileged to take some classes which were taught by Nathalie Metivier. What a lovely person!
The swap that I am doing requires that I make two cards a month and send them to two different swappers. This is the card I made for one of the swappers, and I played with colors on the card rather than a lot of "geegaws". (That's a down home term for embellishments.)
The card base was Cougar Opaque and was natural (which is a fancy term for off-white or ivory). I topped that with a light wine colored patterned paper from Hot Off the Press. On top of that I placed a light green CS to echo the green in the image. It's faint, but it's there on the flower buds. More patterned paper and then a rich wine card stock. The image was stamped on a pale, pale pink card stock scrap and embossed with JudiKins' Detail Black embossing powder. I colored the flowers with a Rose Pink Copic marker and then used the colorless blender on the end of the petals to remove some of the color. I went back over the flower close to the center with the Rose Pink to make it even darker than it originally was. Although the center of the flowers is mostly black, I colored the open areas with a Canary Yellow Copic marker. I cut the image out closely with scissors and glued it to the wine CS and embellished the flowers with a few drops of JudiKins' Diamond Glaze to resemble dew on the petals.
The Heirloom Rubber Stamp Conventioon was held in Grapevine this past weekend, and I went to the convention on Sunday. There were several vendors who were not there but also a few new vendors or at least ones I had never seen before. I think some of my favorite stamps were the ones I bought at the Eccentric Images booth. There were two vendors who had Nestabilities, but I thought that Marco's Paper did not have them displayed well. It was hard to see which of the Nestabilities they had because they were scattered throughout the booth. I saw the new acrylic Sizzix folders similar to the ones that are made for the Cuttlebug. These folders will work in the Cuttlebug, and there was a good selection to choose from. I'm not sure the name of the booth that I saw a lot of the Dreamweaver stencils in, but I think it was Polly's Pals. We watched a great demonstration using the embossing pastes, and I bought a couple of the stencils for Christmas cards.
The July convention is always smaller than the January convention, but I thought there was a good representation of vendors this year. I also liked the fact that we were seeing new vendors which means the show must go on!

2009-07-16T00:19:00.000-07:00

Today's card looks a little wonky, but that's because I didn't get it in my scanner as straight as it should have been. I can't redo it because it was for a swap, and it's already been mailed.

The card base is white card stock, and the images were stamped with a black ink pad from Marvy Matchables. I punched the images using round circle punches from EK Success. I also punched out circles on a strip of white CS with a punch that was 1/8" larger than each of the stamped circles. I mounted the strip on black CS and then glued the stamped circles inside the larger circles on the black CS. This strip was mounted on aqua CS and then glued to a larger strip of black CS. The black strip was the height of the card base when glued to it.

2009-07-14T07:38:00.001-07:00

Coffee, anyone? For someone who dislikes coffee as much as I do, it's a little strange that I love making cards using coffee images. Go figure!
This card was made using stamps from two different companies. The coffee cup image is from A Muse, and the word stamp is from the Coffee Cafe set by Elemental Doodles. I covered the front of the card with a patterned paper from Hot Off the Press, and stamped the images with Marvy Matchables' Dark Brown. The images are edged with a dark brown Copic marker.
Again, it's a simple but, I think, eyecatching way to use these stamps.

2009-07-12T10:39:00.000-07:00

LOBSTAH CHOWDAH!The recipe on this page is long enough that it takes up most of the page, so I kept it pretty simple. The base is black card stock from Paper Pizzaz by Hot Off the Press, and I mounted a checkered patterned paper on top of it. The rest of the CS was red, white and black CS scraps. I used a stamp from the Elemental Doodles Coffee Cafe set to stamp the word "mmmm..." around the edge of the red card stock. The recipe was computer generated on white bond paper, and the embellishments are lobster brads from Eyelet Outlet, thanks to Jan, my sister-in-law who brought me metal lobsters instead of the real thing! (Jan, in case you're reading this I'm just kidding! Loved the brads.)
Once again, I want to remind everyone reading this that Elemental Doodles has a new design team call. The web site is http://www.elementaldoodles.com/.

2009-07-11T18:23:00.000-07:00

IN LOVING MEMORY

Bonnie Allen Stewart

Arlington, Texas

LIAM & MAEVE

2009-07-06T18:19:00.000-07:00

Aren't these wonderful pictures of a little boy and his baby sister? Maeve doesn't seem quite as thrilled with Liam, though, as he is with her!
This is a simple layout done with yellow and black card stock from Paper Pizazz by Hot Off the Press in an 8x8" format. The name and date ovals were punched using the graduated oval punches from Stampin' Up! I used Marvy Matchables black ink to stamp the sun and stars from the Heavenly Tea set by Elemental Doodles ... because aren't these two beautiful children the stars of the show?!

AT THE POUND

2009-07-03T23:41:00.001-07:00

This layout brings back some good memories of the lobster pound in Maine which is located just before crossing the bridge to Bar Harbor. My husband's father used to take him to eat at this pound when he was a child. I think he enjoyed it even more as an adult.
To assemble this layout, mount a square of red card stock on an 8x8" black page. Stamp the corners of the red with black Marvy Matchables ink using the leaf stamp from the Elemental Doodles' Create a Basket stamp set. Mount the pictures on light gray, medium gray and black card stock; place on page. Cute a black card stock rectangle, punch the corners with a ticket punch from Stampin' Up!, and run through the Cuttlebug using the Swiss Dots folder. Mount on a larger rectangle of medium gray card stock; punch the corners and glue to the layout page. Mount a lobster embellishment from Jolee's with foam tape on the black rectangle. Use rub-ons from One Heart ... One Mind to embellish the page; stamp flourish under the word "entree" using a stamp from the Elemental Doodles' Create a basket stamp set.
Today was a fun day. We went to visit friends who own a ranch in East Texas. Part of our visit included lunch at a wonderful Italian restaurant and ... my fave ... a visit to the scrapbook store. Tomorrow promises to be good also since my Coast Guard son called today to let us know he is here from Alaska for a visit and will be over tomorrow to see us. This calls for a celebration ... a fireworks display is in order.

LET THEM EAT CAKE!

2009-07-02T10:44:00.000-07:00

I have finally started using more of my stash of scrapbook papers. This layout is done on an 8x8 page using the following:
Dark brown base - Coredinations 8x8"
Medium brown CS 7-3/4x7-3/4"
Buttercup Yellow CS 4-7/8x3-7/8; 3x7"
Chocolate Chip CS - Stampin' Up! 5x5; 5x4"
Brown patterned paper 4-7/8x4-7/8"
Flowers - Prima
Flower centers - Dew Drops by The Robins Nest

Stamp - Coffee Cafe by Elemental Doodles
Brown ink - Marvy Matchables
Instructions: Print recipe from Word document on Buttercup Yellow CS; trim to 4-7/8x3-7/8"; mount on 5x4" Chocolate Chip CS and set aside. Stamp image on three sides of 7x3" Buttercup Yellow CS; mount on page. Glue patterned paper to 5" Chocolate Chip square; offset and mount over stamped paper. Glue prepared recipe to patterned paper, offsetting slightly. Embellish with flowers and Dew Drops.
I made this page for Elemental Doodles, but I like it. Do I have to send it in? Yeah ... guess I do. A deal's a deal.

2009-07-01T08:02:00.000-07:00

It's a Good News Day!
I sent the card I posted on my blog on June 24th to a stamping friend in Florida. She showed it to her boss, who liked it so much that she is having the card framed as art for her vacation home in the Florida Keys.
The card I'm showing today was so much fun to make. The dress was a two-part pattern I received in another swap, so I used my copier to copy it on the back of my paper. The light green paper was plain so I decorated it using a flower stamp from the Elemental Doodles' Create-a-Basket stamp set. The ink was Adirondack's Lettuce.
I punched the corners of the dark green card stock and mounted it over a piece of the light green CS. I then trimmed them to be the same size and mounted it on a white card base. I then folded the pleats in the skirt and mounted it and the top of the dress on the card. A small strip of dark green CS made the belt, and flat-backed pearls were used as buttons. A gold slipper and gold purse are the embellishments.

2009-06-28T20:35:00.000-07:00

IT'S INDEPENDENCE DAY!

Well, not quite yet, but it's coming fast and furious. To celebrate this wonderful day, I have made a quick and easy card.
The base is dark red card stock. I drew a template on the back of the patterned paper and cut out the three wavy rectangles with an Exacto knife. I then glued the patterned paper to white CS which had been cut to the same size. The stamps are from Elemental Doodles Firecracker USA set, and I stamped them with Adirondak's Red Pepper dye ink. The photo corners were punched from white CS using the photo corner punch from Stampin' Up! I then punched small stars from patterned blue denim paper and glued them on the photo corners.

2009-06-25T08:45:00.001-07:00

A HEAVENLY ATC
This ATC was made to submit to Elemental Doodles as part of June's "assignment". The base CS is from Coredinations, and the background paper on top of that is from one of the Hot Off the Press pads. I apologize for not knowing which one since I have several of them, but the cover of the pad has done a disappearing act.
To enhance the patterned paper, I stamped on it randomly using one of the star stamps from ED's new Mini Heavenly Tea stamp sets. I stamped it using Marvy Matchables Deep Lilac. I cut the tag and mounted it on a darker shade of lilac Coredinations CS. The saying is from ED's Heavenly Tea set and was stamped using Marvy Matchables Violet ink. Two holes at the top of the tag allow the ribbon to be threaded without a lot of bulk. The tag is mounted on the ATC using foam tape.
If anyone reading this blog is interested, Elemental Doodles is issuing a new challenge for Design Team members. The term is for six months and starts in July. If you go to their web site at http://www.elementaldoodles.com/, you can find more information about the requirements for submission to become a designer for this new company. (You can also order stamps at this site if you're not interested in becoming a designer. Check out their new ... and old ... stamp sets!)
Today is my day to play in my stamp room. With the exception of finishing a load of laundry and cooking dinner, my Darling Husband has been informed that today is all about me. I don't plan to be at anyone's beck and call. What a fantastic feeling!

2009-06-24T18:23:00.001-07:00

This card was done using one of my favorite techniques. I heat embossed the image in white on glossy card stock and then did a direct to paper technique using my Marvy Matchables dye ink pads. I immediately wiped off the excess ink with a soft paper towel. The embellishments are real, tiny starfish and scallop shells.
I have been working on cards and ATCs for the Elemental Doodles Design Team. I'm going to be posting a few things on here later that I have done with the new stamp sets I received in the mail this week. As stampers, we all know that some of the designs are not in our comfort zone and are something we have not worked with before. This is the case of the new sets I'm working with, so we'll see if I can come up with something wonderful ... or not!
I also have the Elemental Doodles' stamp cleaner, but it has been missing in action. I found it tonight hiding behind my Ott light, and am I glad to see it. I like this cleaner, especially since it conditions the stamps as it cleans.
I still can't report on the "colors" that Elemental Doodles is coming out with. All we've had so far are "teasers", but I do know the initial offering will be 12 or 13 colors. I love working with colors and am so anxious to see what Inquiring Minds have come up with.
On a closing note for today, my favorite stamp store closed out Saturday with a big hoorah, lots of discounted items, and a potluck dinner to end all potluck dinners! For those of you who have shopped at Imprints in Ft. Worth, Texas, I know you will be as sorry as I am to see the store close.

2009-06-10T19:05:00.001-07:00

SKELETON LEAVES MADE EASY

I love using skeleton leaves on projects, so this simple card features one. It's not always easy attaching the leaves to paper, but this one was a cinch. I have some adhesive that comes on a roll and is about 4" wide which I bought from Amy's Magic. I placed the skeleton leave on that, pressed it down firmly, and then cut around it. I then removed the backing on the adhesive and adhered it to light gray card stock.
This card uses three shades of gray CS ... medium for the base, light for the skeleton leaf and stamped image, and dark to accent the light gray colors.
The image is from the Autumn Splendor set by Elemental Doodles. I stamped it randomly on the light gray CS using Gray ink from Marvy Matchables.
If you read one of my earlier posts, you know that Elemental Doodles is having a pre-order sale for their new stamp sets which are scheduled to be released the last of June. It's always exciting to get new stamps, but it's even more exciting when they're so new to the market that no one else has them. Be sure to visit the web site at http://www.elementaldoodles.com/ to pre-order one, two, three ... oh heck, order the whole batch. Be the first kid on your block with them. Just think of all the fun you'll have playing with them.
If you're a member of Splitcoast Stampers, you will find that Elemental Doodles has now been added to the Company Galleries. The key word is elementaldoodles. Thanks go to one of the other Founding Design Team members, Etha Schuette, for this addition to SCS.
I am so anxious to find out what the "colors" we're going to be seeing from Elemental Doodles are. As of now it's still a secret, but since I love color, curiosity has me in its grips! (I'm almost as nosy as my cat, Bonnie ... just a little sneakier about it!) We don't know if they're paints, chalks, markers, or ink colors. I want the new toys ... NOW. What? You mean I have to wait like everyone else. What a concept.
In closing out this blog for the day, this is for my fourth son. Douwe, I hope your birthday is a good one. I just wish we could have been there to celebrate it with you. Many more!

2009-06-05T15:30:00.000-07:00

It's a good day! My sister-in-law and I made it to the Great American Scrapbook Convention in Arlington, and we found some good things. Jan had never been to one of the conventions, and she had a blast. We found some 12x12 metallic CS for 25 cents a sheet. Yep! What woman can pass up a bargain?
We didn't stay as long as we would have liked, but we still had a good time. I found a set of the scalloped Nestabilities that works with the plain set I already have. There were loads of Nestabilities in that booth, and I could have bought a whole lot more. I did restrain my retail instincts, though, against my baser "gottahave" instincts.
This scan today is an ATC I made recently ... simple and quick. The base is a scrap of black CS covered with two types of patterned paper. I don't remember who makes the paper on the top, but I found the striped paper on the bottom in a package at Walmart. The solid blue strips were more CS scraps, and the buckle is a tab top from a can of CocaCola. The black "stamp" stamp is from the Firecracker USA stamp set from Elemental Doodles. After stamping it, I masked it and stamped the face of one of the Forest Fairies in the center. She is colored with Copic markers and Twinkling H2Os and mounted on the ATC using foam tape.
This post is short today because I feel a great responsibility to my purchases this week. In other words, I have to go play!

2009-06-04T06:14:00.001-07:00

ATCs can be elaborate or very simple, but they are always fun to make. This ATC was made and attached to a card base using the following:
CS - White Cougar Opaque scrap; burgundy suede paper
Patterned papers - Hot Off the Press
Stamp - Autum Splendor from Elemental Doodles
Ink - VersaMark
Chipboard rectangle
Embossing powder - Lapis Lazuli and Garnet from JudiKins
Mesh
Silver mini-brads
Once again I have had my Milwaukee heat gun out and working! The heat gun was my first purchase, along with a few stamps, ink and EP, as a beginning stamper fifteen years ago. There's a lot to be said for good tools since it is still going strong after all these years. I know the Milwaukee heat gun gets very, very hot, and I know there are other heat guns with a gentle attitude toward life on the market, but this is my favorite. I'm too impatient for the slow and gentle ones. I also know that using a heat gun on a glass table top will break the glass. Don't even ask me how I know!!
Here are a few tips on making this ATC. The mesh I used is not the kind sold in stamp stores. Rather it is from a roll of white mesh that I bought at Home Depot for a fraction of the price. I think it is used for drywall repair, but it's a good thing for stampers. The back is quite sticky which makes it easy to adhere to CS. There is also a small amount of stickiness on the front side, so I cut a piece and stuck it to my nonstick mat, poured EP over it and heated the EP. I then took it off the mat, stuck it on the ATC and trimmed the ends to fit.
The image was done in EP the same way as the card posted on my blog on June 2nd except I didn't swirl the hot EP. Be sure to let it cool before you try removing the stamp.
Can you tell I've been "Doodling" around this week with my stamps from ED? As a member of the design team, I send cards and projects I've created to the company but am encouraged to publish them to my blog also.
If any of you are interested in becoming a designer for them, there is a new Design Team member call published on their web site at http://www.elementaldoodles.com/.

2009-06-03T15:22:00.000-07:00

Today has been a wonderful day for me. My sister-in-law from Massachusetts is here, and we have spent the day playing. I introduced her to my Cuttlebug and to Nestabilities, and we went to one of my favorite stores ... Gotta Scrap in Rockwall ... for a little retail therapy.
We are thinking about going to the Great American Scrapbook Convention if we can find something for the husbands to do tomorrow.
In the meantime, I need to tell you about this card which has turned out to be a favorite of mine.
Card base - Double-sided brown CS by WorldWin
Orange, dark green, and light green CS - Leftovers from my scrap basket
Stamped flower image - Elemental Doodles' Forest Fairy set.
Ink - Jet Black StazOn
Saying - Computer generated, printed in green
Embellishments - Dew Drops by The Robin's Nest
Cutting the L-shaped CS was probably the biggest challenge in making this card. The flower itself was stamped on orange CS, cut out and mounted on the green image. The colors on the card are a little brighter than shown on the scan.

2009-06-02T09:09:00.001-07:00

The Liberty Bell is a favorite of mine, so I was pleased to receive this stamp from Elemental Doodles in the Firecracker USA set.
The card was designed to be displayed on an angle using a square black card base. Patterned paper is from DCWV. To make the center image, I used a 2" square precut chipboard from Magenta, covered it with VersaMark ink and added three layers of JudiKin's Black embossing powder, heating between each layer. While the third layer was still hot and runny, I added a layer of silver EP and used a toothpick and heat gun to swirl the colors together until I achieved the marbled effect I liked. I then inked the Liberty Bell stamp with VersaMark and stamped into the hot EP, leaving the stamp in place until the EP cooled. After it was completely cooled, I highlighted the image with Platinum Rub N Buff. It was then mounted on a square scrap of black CS and an offset square scrap of red glossy CS. The saying was stamped on white CS with Jet Black StazOn ink and mounted on another scrap of the red glossy CS. I added red star brads in the upper corners and mounted it to the card using foam tape.
I can hardly wait to see this month's new products from Elemental Doodles. We don't know what the product is yet, but we have been promised a lot of color! I love color ...
Tomorrow is play day here. My sister-in-law will be visiting, and we have decided to stay here and play rather than going shopping which is what we usually do. Jan is an avid scrapbooker who wants to learn some stamping techniques. We'll probably indulge in some good TexMex food for dinner. Sounds like a plan to me!

2009-05-28T08:09:00.000-07:00

So many times I have heard stampers say that it is hard for them to design a card for a man. Since I have been surrounded by guys most of my life, including my four sons, it has always been easy for me. This comes in handy when my husband, a very active ham radio operator, asks for a card to send to one of his buddies.
This quick and easy card was designed using a dark brown card base, leaf patterned paper, a strip of terra cotta CS which was Cuttlebugged using the branches folder, and a sheer shimmering ribbon edged in gold. Using Elemental Doodles' Autumn Splendor stamps, I stamped the saying on a beige scrap in Marvy Matchables' Dark Brown. Around the edges of the scrap, I stamped the solid leaf stamp, alternating the colors. The ink used was Brilliance Rocket Red Gold and Crimson Copper. After mounting it on a slightly larger piece of metallic gold CS, the finished image was mounted to the card.
Quick ... easy ... masculine.
Did you check out yesterday's blog and look at the Elemental Doodles' sneak peek of new stamps? I can hardly wait to get my hands on the face, ink bottle and quill. I think they will work so well with the postage stamp from the Firecracker USA set.

2009-05-27T09:01:00.000-07:00

My apologies to you, Marianne M, for CASEing a card you sent me. Mine isn't as elaborate as yours and is not a true CASE, but I loved the idea!
The stamps I used were from the Elemental Doodles Coffee Cafe set. The instructions for this card are:
Terra Cotta CS base
Ivory CS cut a bit smaller than base and corner punched inked with Marvy Matchables Terra Cotta
Stamp on background was inked with Adirondak's Hazelnut
Layers on coffee cup are patterned paper, ivory CS and burgundy CS
Stamps on coffee cup were inked with Dark Brown Marvy Matchables
Different colors of CS were cut into triangles, mounted on beige CS to resemble steam, and then mounted on burgundy CS.
Multicolored eyelash fibers were used as an embellishment.
And now a word from the sponsor!
If you would like to see a sneak preview of the new Elemental Doodles' stamps which will be available in June, go to: http://www.elementaldoodles.com/pages/sneakpeak.php. These stamps can be pre-ordered after June 1st and should be available for shipping by June 15th. If you go to their web site and sign up for the newletter at: http://www.elementaldoodles.com/pages/newsletter.php, you will receive a larger discount than the one that will be offered to the general public.
I'm excited to be receiving new stamps to play with, and I like the design of the sets. Having sayings associated with stamp sets is always nice, and I also like the fact that there are solid and outline stamps. If one doesn't work ... the other one will!
Have a great day, and thank you for reading my shameless commercial.

2009-05-25T18:13:00.001-07:00

This is another black and white challenge. I stamped the flourishes on a white card base with StazOn Jet Black ink using clear stamps by Inkadinkadoo. The main image is from Magenta and is stamped on white with StazOn Jet Black and mounted on black CS; both ovals were cut using Nestabilities. Embellishments are photo corners punched using a Stampin' Up! photo corner punch. The sheer black ribbon is from an unknown source, but I suspect I bought it from my LSS (Local Stamp Store).
For all of you out there traveling home on this Memorial Day holiday, have a safe trip.
For all our veterans, past and present, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your service to our country. I have been able to enjoy my life in this wonderful country, secure in knowing that there are men and women willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice to keep our country safe from harm. God bless you all.

2009-05-18T22:00:00.001-07:00

It has been so long since I posted here, but it has been a month of absolute chaos here. The drain from the a/c unit in the attic stopped up, filled the drain pan, and overflowed, ruining both bathrooms and a bedroom closet. Construction to repair the damage is still ongoing but should be finished this week.
Because of all the mess we have been in for the past month, artistic inspiration has fled screaming for help. The muse has been visiting elsewhere while I wasn't looking. Now that things are coming back together here, my muse has been teasing around the edges of consciousness.
This card was the answer to a challege for numbers. I don't usually work in a larger format, but the clock face seemed to call for it. The card is 8-1/2" wide by 5-1/2" tall. The card base is a light orange, topped with a dark gray embossed card stock. I bought it in a pad of 8"x8" papers, promptly tore all the paper out of the pad, and quickly forgot who made it. The papers in the pad are really cool, though, and I think I bought it at Michael's two or three months ago.
The next layer is a strip of medium orange paper, which I stamped with black ink from Marvy Matchables. The stamp is one of my favorites and was made by Eclectic Omnibus. I then ran it through the Cuttlebug, using the Traffic Jam embossing folder. The large clock face from Magenta was heat embossed with JudiKins' Silver embossing powder on a piece of glossy black card stock and cut out. It is topped with a clock face from B Line Designs which was stamped on ivory card stock with black StazOn ink and cut out. I colored the eyes with a Grayish Olive Copic marker and the lips with a Light Prawn Copic marker.

2009-04-15T22:05:00.000-07:00

Bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush ... and a haze over the meadow. What could be more beautiful than a spring morning in Texas?
I did not take this picture, but I applaud the photo artist who captured the distant fog before the sun completely obliterated it.
Scenes like this are the reason I welcome spring each year in spite of my instinctive love of snow which we rarely see in this area. Most things in life are a tradeoff ... and let's admit it, there are days when bluebonnets beat snowflakes!

2009-04-14T13:35:00.000-07:00

This card was made for a "Green with Envy" swap. The background paper was stamped in aqua Brilliance ink using a star stamp from Denami Designs. The main image is from Endless Creations as is the "Hello!" image. I stamped both images with StazOn Cactus Green ink. I then trimmed the large image and mounted it on green CS before attaching it to the card base. Another strip of green across the bottom of the card, some self-adhesive paper lace (a gift from my sister-in-law), and green Stickles completed the card.
It's wildflower time in Texas, and the bluebonnets along the highways turn the hills a dark purple from a distance. The Indian paintbrush is in bloom, the Queen Anne's Lace is just starting to bloom, and the land of 5,000 wildflowers is vibrant once again.

2009-04-07T17:01:00.000-07:00

Mothers always enjoy talking with their children ... or at least I do. My son, who is stationed with the US Coast Guard in Alaska, called me last night and asked me if I would be home this afternoon. I said that I would be, and he told me he had arranged a delivery for me. I thought it would be probably be flowers because that's what he sends when he asks about my plans. Since it is close to Easter, I wondered if he was sending me Easter lilies which I love.
About 2:00 the doorbell rang, and I hurried to answer it. Through the frosted glass I could see a bouquet of flowers. When I opened the door, a deep voice said, "Were you expecting a delivery of flowers?" The deep voice belonged to my son. How thrilled I was ... and how surprised!
The card I have shown here is in response to a Puzzling Predicament challenge. The card base is dark brown card stock, and I used another piece of background paper from one of the many pads residing in one of my drawers for the puzzle. I mounted it on terra cotta CS before mounting it on the brown card base.
As for the puzzle, I used the puzzle set of Tamp-A-Tiles by tracing around each piece of the puzzle. Then I used a small stencil brush to stipple Marvy Matchables Pale Orange over most of the background and Dark Brown over the tracing. After that I stamped the face, the eyes and the lips in each of the puzzle sections. The face and eyes were stamped with Dark Brown, and the lips were stamped with Adirondack's Wild Plum and overstamped with Adirondack's Eggplant. The face and eye stamps are by Stamp Francisco, and the lips are from Stampabilities. I colored the eyes on the face image with a green Pigma pen, the eyebrows with Copic's Burnt Umber, and the lips with PrismaColor's Mulberry pencil.

2009-04-06T14:40:00.001-07:00

Baseball season has returned ... and the Texas Rangers beat the Cleveland Indians 9-1 at the Ballpark in Arlington today. I've been a huge baseball fan all my life and started as a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals. My late husband was from the home of the Texas Rangers, and I switched allegiance which lasts until this day.
This absentee blogger has also returned. The past weekend was not stamp oriented since I was trying to clean up a huge mess from a remodeled bedroom and partially remodeled kitchen. The bedroom is finished, and the kitchen is almost there. I love the results of remodels but hate the process. This was occasioned by water damage in the house over the years and has proven to be a smart move on our part. During a 5" rain storm a couple of weeks ago, there were no leaks!

The above card is one I made for an Artist's Choice challenge. I have had a book of Asian background papers for a long, long time, and I decided they would be perfect for showcasing the new cherry blossom stamp by Inkadinkadoo that I bought recently.
The card base is pink, and I used the cherry blossom background paper cut 1/16th of an inch smaller than the card. The other two background papers were in the same book of papers, and I highlighted the long rectangle and the circle with more of the pink CS. I stamped the cherry blossom image with Marvy Matchables' Dark Brown and mounted it on a dark brown CS scrap. A sheer ribbon was the finishing touch for a relatively simple card ... if you don't count trying to match up colors which border on the unusual.
I think it is time I use my Bind-it-All, so I'm going to watch the DVD that came with it. I have used one in class but have never used mine. It's about time.

2009-04-02T04:53:00.001-07:00

The challenge today was to make a black and white ATC. This was stamped with a Hero Arts stamp on Cougar Opaque white card stock and mounted to black card stock, then mounted again on white Cougar Opaque CS. The base of the card was black CS, and a white ribbon with black dots was tied around the ATC. The mounted image was attached using foam tape.
The black card stock I used for this ATC is some I have had for a long time, and I have never known who made it. The back of the CS is white, and the front is not exactly glossy but does have a sheen to it. I bought several sheets of it, mainly because of the white backing. It's so nice to use for a card with a black base but yet be able to stamp or write a message inside.

2009-03-31T12:24:00.000-07:00

Sometimes a stamper will be lucky enough to find a background that is awesome. That is the case for this card. I bought a package of stationery because I loved the pattern on the front ... and let's face it, because it was on sale cheap! I think I paid fifty cents for a package of six cards and envelopes. Cheap is good.
I cut the front panel to fit a white card base and attached it to the base. The challenge was green, but the background was elaborate and needed a simple image. What is simpler than a leaf, especially this one? I stamped it with Adirondack's Lettuce ink, colored the leaf and the circles with Copic markers, and mounted it on dark green card stock. A simple ribbon, a little foam tape on the back, and the card was ready to go.
In case anyone reading my blog gets the idea that the only inks I use are Adirondack and Marvy Matchables, it is not because I don't have others. Some stampers are paper hoarders. I am an ink fanatic. I love the colors of all the different inks and have an extensive collection. Every time I think I have found the ultimate ink, the manufacturers come up with something new to tempt me. I yield to temptation.
I think of it this way: I don't smoke, I don't drink, and I don't date boys who do. This justifies all those ink pads, doesn't it?

2009-03-30T10:32:00.000-07:00

I made this card in answer to a "Throwaway Collage" challenge issued on one of my groups. The card was to be made with things we might throw away that were on our stamping table and in our supplies.
I found a brown card base I had made but decided not to use for a different swap. Next came a collage background out of my scrap box. I had made this background several years ago and decided now was the perfect time to use it. Another scrap, this time in pink, completed the background for the rest of the collage. The image had been sent to me in December as an extra for a Mystery Swap challenge. It was stamped in brown ink on white card stock, so the colors had to be changed. I used Adirondack's Peach Bellini and Shell Pink ink pads to make the change, mounted it on a burgundy scrap and placed it over a burgundy skeleton leaf. Three buttons and corners sent for the Mystery swap completed this card.

The next card was made for a "She Sells Seashells by the Seashore" challenge. Card Base: Pale Peach Card Stock: White glossy Kromekote; dark red Inks: Marvy Matchables' Pale Orange, Adirondack Cranberry Stamps: Seashell (Inkadinkadoo); Hello (Unknown source) Using Pale Orange stamp pad, color white glossy card stock by rubbing on glossy card stock in one direction. Allow to dry. Stamp seashell three times with Cranberry ink and mount on dark red CS. Cut a narrow piece of the ink treated glossy card stock and mount on dark red card stock. Stamp "Hello!" on the lighter color and mount to a peach colored card base. Attach seashells to card with foam tape. The scan shows the card base to be pink, but it is actually a light peach.

Where is my wonderful tulip-filled signature? Who knows! I hit the delete button one too many times, and away it went. Since I can't figure out how to get it back, I will sign off as

Jane

2009-03-29T08:53:00.001-07:00

This ATC was made using the Coffee Cafe clear stamp set from Elemental Doodles. The base was SU's Close to Cocoa card stock, and the tan card stock is from Magenta.
The inks used are Marvy Matchables' Dark Brown, Brown and Terra Cotta. The embellishment is a clear acrylic tag from Coffee Break Design, and I colored the back of it with Copic's E08 Brown marker. After letting the alcohol ink dry, I turned the tag over and stamped on it with Jet Black StazOn. Two copper brads finished the ATC, and it's now in the loving arms of the US Postal Service on the way to North Carolina.
Last night was a cold, cold night in north Texas, and the cooler weather the last few days has slowed spring down so that we have longer to enjoy the beautiful flowers. Along the highways bluebonnets are in full bloom, and the Indian paintbrush has also started blooming. The pink Indian hawthorns in our yard are almost in full bloom. Texas has over 5,000 varieties of wildflowers, and it's wonderful to see them each year. Soon the highways will be lined with pink and white primroses. My grandmother always grew them in her flower bed, but she called them Bouncing Betties. That's an appropriate name for them since they sway in the breeze and look as if they are bouncing along life's highway.

2009-03-28T08:19:00.001-07:00

This card was made in response to a Mystery Swap Challenge issued on a group I belong to. The package I received contained a lot of items to be used ... or not. I chose to use the background paper which had been made with a shaving cream technique, ribbon, image, tulle, and buttons.
I mounted the shaving cream background on a hunter green card, and used burgundy and white CS for the rest of the card. The image looks a little dark, but that is because the burgundy tulle was wrapped around the image before it was mounted to the burgundy CS.
This card is long overdue, but I had lost, er ... misplaced ... the package. The card is done and will go in the mail today.

2009-03-27T07:26:00.001-07:00

Spring has sprung, and nothing says spring more than new baby birds in their nest waiting for their parents to feed them.
This card was made for a Spring challenge using Stamping Up's Close to Cocoa CS for a card base and Basic Grey's Two Scoops Collection for the background. The image from Clear Art Stamps was stamped with StazOn's Timber Brown on a piece of Kromkote CS. The glossy Kromkote had been colored using a green Marvy Blending Blox. The image was mounted on an ivory CS and then on a slightly larger piece of blue CS. Raffia was tied around the card and embellished with a feather from a poor little unsusupecting bird. The image was then mounted over the raffia using foam tape.
I was pleased with the way this card turned out even though the colors probably don't speak as well of spring as Easter pastels do. I colored the glossy CS one day when I was playing, looking for a background for a completely different card. It was not what I needed for that card, but it is a good lesson in never throwing scraps and experiments away!
Spring looks as if it has come to north Texas, and now we learn there is a cold front on the way this afternoon which will drop the temperatures to upper 30s by tomorrow night. No wonder there is an old adage down here: "There's nothing between the Panhandle and the North Pole but a bob wahr fence." To those of you not versed in Texas talk, bob wahr is also known as barbed wire.

2009-03-26T21:39:00.001-07:00

This card was made in answer to a challenge ... pick two colors to use on the card but no white was allowed.
The aqua and brown background paper from DCWV was perfect for this. I added a strip of SU's Close to Cocoa across the front of the card. The three diamonds were square-punched Bazill CS, and the circles were punched from Close to Cocoa scraps. I stamped the image on more of the aqua Bazill CS and punched them out with a 1" punch.
The image is from clear stamp set by K&Co.

2009-03-25T15:29:00.001-07:00

Today's blog might well be titled "All About Me" since I hand carved the main image.

The card base is a light gray CS stamped down the side with what I mentally refer to as my "feather" stamps. The stamps are by Judith and are listed as "Design Leaves", but I'm okay with calling them feathers. At the bottom left is a stamp our son and daughter-in-law sent me from the Netherlands. Next to that is an eye and the number 13, one of my favorite stamps from Eclectic Omnibus. All of the stamps on the background were inked with Adirondack's Denim.

The cat was stamped with VersaMark ink and heat embossed with Lapis Lazuli embossing powder from JudiKins.

I cannot say which companies supplied the embellishments since I nearly always take them out of packages and store them in containers without making a notation of the manufacturer or supplier. I'm not even sure which tree shed the leaf before it became a skeleton leaf, but it has definitely taken a navy dye bath. Time spent writing information down is time that could be spent stamping.

Today was a cloudy, chilly day which proceeded to be a wet, cloudy chilly day as the rain has continued to fall. There's sunshine inside me though because I was able to have lunch with my best friend who is here from Colorado Springs to play with her new and only granddaughter. I'm sure I'll see her more often now that Miss Mati is a beautiful little fixture in the proud grandmother's life.

2009-03-24T08:20:00.001-07:00

This card is another one designed using the Elemental Doodles Firecracker USA stamp set. I heat embossed the Liberty Bell on a piece of CS using several coats of Lapis Lazuli EP from JudiKins. The varigated background paper is a teabag folding paper by Impression Obsession. I stamped the stars and fireworks bursts with Marvy Matchables Crimson Lake and Adirondack Denim dye inks. This was mounted on a piece of chipboard covered with red mulberry paper.

The background paper is from Doodlebug Designs, and the card base is Classic Red from the Paper Company. Navy strip is by Bazill.

This set of stamps is so much fun to work with. There are two things that I have found I like about the Elemental Doodles stamp sets: 1) They have both images and sentiments in the sets, and 2) they fit in a standard CD case.

When clear stamps first came out, I thought I would probably never buy or use them. I was a diehard rubber and wood mount fan. Since space is always an issue with stamps, the CD cases have worked out well for me. I still love my rubber stamps, but the clear polymer stamps are easy to store and to travel with.

Now I have to run take a peek at my new kitchen cabinets! We have been without a kitchen for almost a week, and it will be nice to be able to cook some place other than in the bedroom!

2009-03-23T08:21:00.000-07:00

The Stampers' Sampler is one of my favorite stamping magazines, and I especially like the "Different Point of View" selections. It is always interesting to see the different cards that are made using the same stamp or stamp sets. This card is an example since it was made with the same stamp set that was used on the black and white card that was posted on March 18th.
Stamps: Elemental Doodle's Friendship Tea set; Ink: VersaMark; Embossing Powder: JudiKins' Metallic Detail Gold; Paper: Basic Grey Phoebe Collection, coral pink CS base, apple green and dark brown CS scraps, Cougar Opaque white, and coral pink by Core-ordinations; Cuttlebug flowers: With Love; Embellishments: Dew Drops from The Robin's Nest; and Mini Pop Dots from All Night Media
Stamp large teacup and saying with VersaMark ink, add gold EP and heat emboss on brown scrap paper. Mount on apple green scraps and then on white scraps; set aside. Cut brown designer paper from the Phoebe collection to 5-1/4"x4" and adhere to coral card. Use Cuttlebug to dry emboss flowers on a strip of Core-ordinations CS. Using a manicure buffer, lightly sand embossed flowers until the white core appears. Adhere to background paper. Cut floral strip of pink floral paper from the Phoebe collection the width of the card, trimming scalloped edges with scissors. Place on card; add teacup and saying using pop dots on saying for dimension. Embellish with Dew Drops.

2009-03-21T07:55:00.001-07:00

This is another card made using Elemental Doodles' Firecracker USA stamp set.

Card base: Blue Bazzill CS

Red CS: The Paper Store

White CS: Cougar Opaque

Blue Designer Paper: Hot Off the Press Creative Pack

Dotted Ribbon: Unknown source

Ink: Adirondack's Blue Denim

Nestabilities: Plain Round, Scalloped Round

This card was so simple to make, and I thought the colors coordinated well. Blues are not the easiest colors to match, so I lucked out when putting this card together.

... Now I must take a few minutes for mourning the coming loss of my social life.

For over 13 years I have been a regular customer at Imprints Stamp Store in Ft. Worth, Texas. There were times when I felt as if I spent half my life and all my money in that store. I have met and become friends with many wonderful people in that store and have enjoyed fun, fellowship and food there as well as some fantastic classes. Imprints will be closing in June due to ... get this ... an owner who now thinks she has a life!

When Tina remarried a few years ago, she told us that her husband would be retiring early and that they wanted to spend time traveling and seeing this great country of ours. Little did we realize how quickly this would come to pass. Gary retired last year, and now that which we did not want to happen is about to happen.

The bad news is that the store is closing ... the good news is that there are still some great sales going on. The sales don't make up for the loss of the stamp store, but it helps soften the blow.

Good luck, Tina, and thank you for all the memories.

2009-03-20T07:04:00.001-07:00

No inside pictures today ... I still haven't mastered the art of the digital camera. Why does that not surprise me?

This card was made using an assortment of stamps by A Stamp in the Hand with the exception of the black and orange butterfly on the front of the card. That stamp may possibly be an old PSX stamp that I have had for more years than I care to remember. The cardstock used for the background was Kromecote glossy. After stamping the flourish in brown, I stippled the CS with shades of brown dye ink. The other images were colored with big fat juicy markers from Marvy, and the butterfly on the front of the card was stamped with StazOn's Jet Black and lightly colored with an orange Copic marker.

Using a "cut and paste" technique, I cut strips of the background and adhered them to a purple card. I cut smaller images of the pen and the dragonfly and mounted them on green CS before placing them on the card.

The two butterflies faux postage stamps on the front of the card are stickers that were mounted to purple CS and then adhered to a rectangle of the stamped background which had been mounted on green CS. The butterfly faux postage stamp sticker on the back of the card was placed directly on the stamped background. I don't often use stickers, but these were appropriate for this card, which is my way of telling you that I have had them for so many years that I don't remember who makes them.

Thank you, friends and family, for reading my posts and leaving such wonderful comments. It's a beautiful spring day here, and I'm sending you hugs and best wishes for a great day!

2009-03-19T09:24:00.001-07:00

This ATC was made using Elemental Doodles' Coffee Cafe stamp set. I stamped the background and dark brown coffee cup with Marvy Matchables' inks on a piece of paper made from coffee. I bought a coffee paper notepad several years ago in Mexico, and it was perfect for the ATC. I punched three rectangles at the top of the paper and threaded sheer brown ribbon through it and tied it in a knot. Punched the corners and mounted it to a dark brown ATC blank. The corner embellishments which don't show up too well are stickers from Stampendous. The other coffee cup was stamped with Marvy Matchables' Brown ink on a piece of scrap cardstock. I then used a waterbrush over the design and colored in the flower using Copic markers. After cutting it out, I mounted it over the dark brown coffee cup and embellished the center of the flower with another tiny round gold sticker from Stampendous.
Tomorrow I will post another card I made using stamps from A Stamp in the Hand. With any luck at all, I'll be able to take a digital photo of the inside to show how the design was cut and folded.

2009-03-18T07:37:00.000-07:00

A new day ... and a new card.

Stamps: Elemental Doodles Friendship Tea set

Card base: White Cougar Opaque cardstock

Overlay: Black cardstock

Top layer: White Cougar Opaque cardstock

Ink: Black StazOn

Markers: Copic

Pen: Sakura Micron .005

Instructions: Draw lines randomly on card. Stamp in black with small stamps in the ED set. Stamp large teacup on a scrap of white CS. Color in the tulips with Copic markers and cut out image. Mount to center of top layer on card with foam tape.

A neat feature of the Elemental Doodles' stamp set is that there are two different sizes of the main images.

I'm a tea drinker, but I liked the ED Coffee Cafe set of stamps so much that I ordered them. My next post will be an ATC using coffee as the theme.

I hope everyone who is reading my blog is having a wonderful, bright day filled with sunshine and flowers. Spring has come to our part of the world!

2009-03-17T19:57:00.000-07:00

This is a card I made using the Elemental Doodles "Firecracker USA" stamp set. The card base is red overlayed with white cardstock. The bunting images were stamped in Marvy Matchables' Crimson Lake. A strip of red CS was placed over the top of the bunting, and on top of that is a strip of blue designer paper from Hot Off the Press' Creative Pack. The same blue designer paper was punched with a photo corner punch and with a round scalloped Nestabilities. The Liberty Bell and sentiment were stamped with VersaMark and heat embossed with JudiKins Opaque White embossing powder. The red circle is outlined with a gold marker. Small gold glitter stars embellish the top of the bunting.

This was a simple card to make, but since it was the first one I made using the "Firecracker USA" stamps, I enjoyed making it. The next card I design using this set of stamps will probably feature firecrackers since that seems to be the name of the game!

2009-03-02T07:06:00.000-08:00

This is the first official day for my blog! Sweet!

Before I go any further, I would like to say a huge thank you to Michelle Baird of Shabby Creations for her beautiful blog design and for her exceeding patience with a client who didn’t have a clue about blogs other than reading them.

My next thank you goes to a new stamp company called Elemental Doodles. The owners have seen fit to name me to their Founding Design Team, and I could not feel more honored or thrilled. The company’s initial launch of stamps is due this month, and I hope all my stamping friends will check out their web site at www.ElementalDoodles.com to see what’s new in polymer stamps.

Thank you also to all the teachers I have been privileged to take classes from over the years: MaryJo McGraw, who delights in pushing students out of their comfort zones and who taught me that a dirty stamp is a good stamp; Judi Watanabe of JudiKins; Joyce Hazen of A Stamp in the Hand; Dee Greunig of Posh Impressions; Nathalie Metivier of Magenta; Michele Charles of Design Originals; Sue Giduck, author of Altered Art & Collage; Zana Clark of Stamp Zia; Lynell Harlow of Dream Weaver Stencils; Jackie Lewis of Inky Antics; Suze Weinberg of Design Studio; Beverly Seymour of BLine Designs; Angela Jones of Eclectic Omnibus; and Jen del Muro, who teaches classes in Copic markers.

Thank you also to my stamping friend, Nettie, who did a lot of hand-holding along the way to a blog, and to another stamping friend, Alex, who is an Enabler Extraordinaire.

My list of thanks would not be complete without acknowledging my extremely supportive husband, Bob, who has encouraged me, spoiled me and watched me grow as a stamper over the last fourteen years.

And to Michael, my youngest son stationed aboard a Coast Guard cutter in the frozen north, who said, "I have to tell all the guys on my ship that my mom has a blog!." Thank you for thinking that old moms can’t learn to jump through new hoops.