Wednesday Stamper Challenge...Blue

Here are a couple of cards for the Wednesday Stamper Challenge stamped with StazOn on wallpaper scraps, and stitched in layers. Lady stamp in produced by Heather Hayley of Heather's Stamping Haven (a Canadian company). Eiffel Tower and both sentiments are Hero Arts, stamped in blue Versafine. The Eiffel Tower card also uses rub-ons from 7gypsies.







The lady stamp is actually on sale at 35% off at Scrapper's Haven right now. It's just a small Canadian online store, but EVERYTHING in the store is on sale Sept 1st., 2nd., and 3rd only, including already sale-prices stock at 25% and 40% off is an additional 35% off. I'm stocking up on inks and embossing powders ;)

Other cards can be seen here. Thanks for stopping by!

Wednesday Stamper Challenge

The cover of this little book is stamped on Stambord with StazOn; Adirondack inks used for edges, sealed with Top Boss clear EP. I'd always been apprehensive about trying star books, but after taking a great class and using this very EASY-to-follow tutorial, I've made several, in different sizes.


They can be made in any size, and in larger sizes, you can add pockets and other interactive bits for treasures and surprises.








I really enjoy the versatility of Stampbord, and how easy it is to have white areas, just by scratching off the colour!


This little book is so tiny that it can hang on a Christmas tree.

Other cards and things can be seen here. Thanks so much for stopping by.

Quilt pattern cards

I'm having so much fun with quilt patterns in paper! I'm thumbing through all my old quilt pattern books, finding new ways to use so many wonderful old traditional patterns.




The brown-and-cream card is the Pinwheel pattern. I cut the triangles, outlined each one with gold metallic ink, then glued in place. I layered onto gold cardstcock and layered again on the brown patterned paper, then on white cardstock. The charm is a metal filigree; I altered some sections with metallic ink, then stamped "thank you" (Stampin' Up stamp) with Ancient Page Coal Black ink and outlined the entire card with the gold metallic ink.











The blue and white pattern is called the Bow Tie. I cut out the pieces, outlined each again with a Krylon gold leafing pen, glued them on cardstock, added a dark border, then stamped SU's "friendship" sentiment. The butterfly (produced by Heather's Stamping Haven in Ottawa), was Versamarked and embossed, then I added Martha Stewart glitter and a couple of Swarovski crystal flat-back beads I fashioned the little antennae out of wire, seed beads, and more Swarovski crystal beads. The crystals really are the same colour on each wing, this ishow they photographed in light and shadow.









This teal-and-white pattern is called the Friendship Block. The centre stamp (also produced by Heather’s) is embossed and coloured with a Sakura Glaze pen, and I added Swarovski flat-back crystals to some of the areas.














This vivid pink and green Pinwheel pattern was done the same way as the brown-and-cream card, except I machine-stitched this one. I also inadvertently cut off this winged thing's head, so I fashioned a prettier one for her from a pearl bead. :)






OH, by the way, the papers on the brown-and-cream card and the blue bow-tie card are free wallpaper samples, so each of these cards cost me about 10 cents each to create. ;)

Thanks for stopping by!

Gothic Arch

There must be some karmic rule against having so much FUN! (lol) First I found Wednesday Stamper challenges. THEN I found Nancy's Gothic Arch challenge. So this one is created for THREE purposes, Wednesday Stamper (combining stitching and stamping), Nancy's Gothic Arch with a school theme, and for my little grandsons, who will be going back to school next week. The gothic arch is actually a photo of a real gothic arch in Ireland. A friend visited there last month and shared all her photos with me. I knew what I would eventually do with this one! (lol) The grumpy looking little boys are from some nether region on the 'net. The grass stamp is Outlines, the ladybug is Sugarloaf. Henry's little hat is All Night Media, coloured with Prismacolour pencils and OMS. He has a pom-pom on top of his hat, not sure if that shows up. I didn't put a hat on Henry's little brother Mervin, because I thought his hat was so cute anyway. Tim Holtz vintage inks used to age things.

THANK YOU for these wonderful challenges, I'm wasting my whole day in my crafting hovel, what a great way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon. Aaaaahhhh...

Wednesday Stamper Challenge # 2

I've always enjoyed stitching on cards, so I'm really enjoying the current Wednesday Stamper challenge. This one uses a quilting block called "Deck of Cards," with Daisy D's papers and Bazzill cardstock, Prima flowers, Swarovski crystals, and a Hero Arts sentiment stamp on a transparency with black StazOn. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Loving Challenges...

I'm using this card for TWO great challenges: a fun one day Caardvarks challenge to use beads on a card front, and a Wednesday Stamper Challenge , to use stitching to create art.

For this 6 X 6" card, I used a Marianne Design brass template, embossed with a light box on pearlescent cardstock, then stitched and added seed beads. Then I cut a circle out of the centre with my Creative Memories Circle Cutter (BEST system on the market!) , and inserted this little girl, which is a Stampsmith stamp on glossy cardstock, stamped with Ancient Page black ink. Other cards and things can be seen on my blog here. THANK YOU for dropping by!

Celebrating a little...

I've received news that five of my Paper Bag Studios stamped cards will be published in the Australian magazine Stamping and Papercraft, in the issue going on sale November 30th. This is my first international publication. It's exciting! This card uses an image from the PBS rubber sheet called "Sweet Pea," and Purple Onion Design flourishes. You can see Roben Marie's wonderful unmounted rubber at her Paper Bag Studios shop.

Tribute to a legend

Those of you who are familiar with Vickie Enkoff's wonderful stamps at Creative Chaos will be sad to learn that Vickie died last week.

There's a poignant letter from her daughter Melanie Sage on Vickie's Site, please do read it. The family is looking for art done as a tribute to Vickie, to celebrate her life.

There's also a place for condolences on Melanie's site.

As Melanie mentioned, this is the last piece of art Vickie created, on the day before she died.

This is a huge loss to the world of rubber stamping, and to the creative, artistic community as a whole. She was such a kind, generous woman, always supporting and mentoring others, always willing to share her amazing ideas.

Please say a wee prayer for her and her family.

My Scrappers Haven design kit arrived today, and included this fabulous little Paper Inspirations delphinium stamp I've been coveting for so long! Delphiniums are one of my favourite summertime flowers, and I grow all colours in my gardens. The kit also contained this delicious pinkish-mauve cardstock (Fancy Pants Love Letters), the Hero Arts sentiment stamp, and some Bazzill scalloped edge cardstock. Lucky me! So I used it all! I stamped the delphinium on ochre vellum (Paper Inspirations) with Staz On, chalked the reverse with Anna Griffin chalks, mounted it on white cardstock, sentiment-stamped on the pink, added a ribbon and some bling, and here's the result.

Gosh, I LOVE being retired! (lol)

Oooohhh, I have a LOVELY new book!

It is NOT often that I find a stamping book with which I am totally enthralled. Most times, I'll see a well developed technique or two, and the rest of the book holds nothing new or exciting for me.

If you like to mess around, and use your inks, paints, and stamps in different, creative ways, this book is a delightful addition to your library.

It's called Texture Effects for Rubber Stamping, by uber-artist Nancy Curry (published by North Light Books, isbn1-58180-558-6) and it is absolutely positively fabulously (is that even a word?) AMAZING!

It was actually published in 2004, but I'd never seen it before. It was also *ahem" "spendy," at a whopping $33 Canadian, but only $23 USD. It was obviously published when the Canadian dollar was not as STRONG as it is now! (lol) I'm sure it's available used, but patience is not one of my strongest virtues. It needed me NOW.

Every single delicious PAGE is a treat, a veritable, droolable TREAT I tell you!

Its all about adding texture, of course, and I've already bookmarked six new-to-me background techiques I'm planning to try.

Monet's Pointillism (WOW!!)

Waterplay

Chasing Diamonds

Eternal Style (using dtp chalk inks)

Using MASKING TAPE with chalk inks! (who KNEW?)

Variegation (all about creating with your own self-made background stamps!)

She also has a fabulous tutorial on Batik, using highly pigmented watercolour paints, and one on creating a Piano Hinge Tag Book.

Oooohhh I am excited...can you tell?

Post Script There are FORTY used copies available on Amazon ...of COURSE... NEW from $15.63, USED from $9.98, but you'd better get there soon, because I'm buying some for lucky stamping buddies! Just click on the red "Amazon," it'll take you right there.

LOVE this stamp!

I spent a fun afternoon playing with a friend's stamps today. I've decided that this lovely little Paper Inspirations one "needs" me in my own collection. I stamped with Versamark and embossed with detail black EP, then coloured with Prismacolour Markers. I added computer generated text.

I have a friend...

...who is living through aggressive treatment for metastatic inflammatory breast cancer. She is a remarkable woman, a physician, beautiful inside and out, warm, generous, and recently married to the love of her life.

She and I are creating seventy five cards as part of a fund raiser (to help local breast cancer survivors) for an ireeverent, bawdy, for-women-only fund raiser in Halifax called Titz 'n' Glitz. DO visit the site if you can, you'll laugh and cry if you watch the video.

We're doing sets of Christmas, All Occasion, and Think Pink. These are some of my cards so far. I didn't include any instructions because there are so many, but feel free to e-mail if you have any questions.

A thoughtful gal...

...nominated me as a

which amazes me for TWO reasons:

1. my blog is only a couple of weeks old, and I'm still struggling to figure things out.
2. I haven't been a "girl" for many many more years than I care to admit!

Hmmm...I wonder if anyone will create a Rockin' Old Lady Blogger award...

THANKS for the honour Ms Donna from Stamp Source.

So it loooks like I need to nominate five more people whose blogs I admire. Please visit these talented folks for pleasure and inspiration!

Nancy Maxwell-James at Vintage Papers where she creates the most heartwarming, beautiful vintage pages of her family's history...and she's the QUEEN of the Gothic Arch card!

Laurie Minick Miles whose blog can be seen at Old School Acres . Laurie lives on a real workin' farm with her hubby, their girls, and lots and lots of horses. She creates these AMAZING felt pieces of art. Have a look at something completely different!

Linda Moyes at In Pursuit of Paper . Have a look at the fabulous ATC's she received for her birthday!

My Aussie friend Sue McGettigan's Wandering Star . I "met" Sue through a Yahoo group, and although I'm not there anymore, we keep in touch through blogs and TwoPeas.

LisaRenea Hughes, wearing her pretty Tattered Tiara . Check out her wickedly fabulous charms on the second page of her blog, and if you like cats, hers is the place to visit!

Hope I did this correctly.

A little note to those who've been nominated: right-click and save the logo, post it on your blog, and nominate five more bloggers whose work you admire!

THANK YOU to my own personal computer guru Jennifer for helping me learn how to create a clickable link. Oh my, this technical stuff baffles my poor stretched mind.

Card of support...

...for a dear friend who's not well. She often refers to her experience as a "roller coaster," and I thought this image was perfect for us. Just before she started treatment, she had her hair cut really short and dyed a vivid red...just like in the photo.

What a FABULOUS weekend!

I was one of ten women from the Stamp Shack website (http://stamp-shack.com/) who came together in Halifax for the first annual "Stamp Shack Stampfest." It was a GREAT weekend. This is one of the cards we created, with an Outlines Mandala stamp. I finished it for one of far-too-many women I know who are living with breast cancer.

Blog Candy Winners

Thanks everyone for such great nominations. Oh MY. Next time I'll be sure to choose a simpler question!

I went shopping again so I could share just a little bit wider.

Blog Candy # 1 exactly as posted will be sent to Tami's friend Lesa, who's facing chemo and radiation following surgery. This is an issue that tugs at my heart. Dear friends of mine are in similar situations, and I KNOW how difficult this is. Tami, please send me Lesa's mailing address, and please let me know whether you want a stamped or a stitched card to accompany the packet from "you," and whether there are any particular themes you prefer. I'll also need your own name and mailing address so I can use it as the return address on the envelope.

Blog Candy # 1 (with new-shopping substitutions) will also be sent out to Stampinmom3's cousin Cherie, who needs to be "lifted up and encouraged." Please send me both addresses, and your preference for a card...stamped or stitched...any particular themes?

And Blog Candy # 1 (with new-shopping substitutions) will ALSO go to Debby Winters' son Joshua. I have four little grand-boys, and they LOVE to play in my stamping room, so we want to encourage that, right? Please send me the address Debby, and your preference for a card...stamped or stitched...any particular themes?

Blog Candy # 2 (exactly as shown, with a couple of little extras tossed in too) will go to Rebecca's 86 year old Mom! Wouldn't it be GREAT to get her addicted! Please send me both addresses, Rebecca, and your preference for a card...stamped or stitched...any particular themes?

My e-mail address is in my complete profile, look forward to hearing back from you all.

Have a great week!

Christmas card...

...for a class. I used my Creative Memories oval cutter (which I think is the BEST on the market!), an image from the 'net which I fashioned into simple paper tole. I dribbled some Judikins Diamond Glaze over some parts of the image.

Christmas Card

This is for a class at Michael's next month. It was inspired by two talented card makers, Stacy and Kim , whose blogs you can see on my list on the right. Stacy used this outlines stamp on a BEAUTIFUL card she made for the Caardvarks challenge, so I just HAD to buy the stamp (lol) and Kim's beautiful card is done using a different snowflake stamp. THANKS for the inspiration, ladies! I embossed on vellum, mounted with brads, cut the card base with my Creative Memories oval cutter (BEST oval and circle cutting system on the market imho!) cuttlebugged the card with the Textured Textiles folder, and added a length of ribbon to finish it off.

Christmas card

This is for a class at Michael's next month. Anna Giffin stamp on red vellum with Encore Ink, MM tree charm, Hero Arts sentiment stamp.

Christmas card

This is for a class at Michael's next month. Oh my. It feels off to be making Christmas cards in August. Penny Black stamp, All Night Media punch.

Pay-it-forward blog candy, set # 1

To celebrate my brand-spankin'-new blog, I have a little blog candy to send to somebody. There are two little sets of new acrylic stamps posted here. This set contains a Heidi Swapp stamp and two Rhonna Farrer stamps. This is Set # ONE. To win this set for a friend, you need to do two things: leave a comment here telling me who should get the candy and why (The best answer wins!), and drop in to sign the guestbook at the bottom of this page. The package will come as a little surprise to your recipient, so if you want to keep the name a secret here, that's ok too. If you win, you'll need to provide me with a name and address. The package will include these three acrylic stamps, of set # 1, and a handmade card from YOU, which will actually be made and mailed by ME. You can choose either a hand-stitched or a hand-stamped card. Sound complicated? It's not! Just play! You can also sign the thread below to play for Set # 2 if you like.

Pay-it-forward blog candy, set # 2

To celebrate my brand-spankin'-new blog, I have a little blog candy to send to somebody. There are two little sets of new acrylic stamps posted here, each containing a Heidi Swapp stamp and two little Michael's stamp sets. This is Set # TWO. To win this set for a friend, you need to do two things: leave a comment here telling me who should get the candy and why (The best answer wins!), and drop in to sign the guestbook at the bottom of this page. The package will come as a little surprise to your recipient, so if you want to keep the name a secret here, that's ok too. If you win, you'll need to provide me with a name and address. The package will include these three acrylic stamps, of set # 2, and a handmade card from YOU, which will actually be made and mailed by ME. You can choose either a hand-stitched or a hand-stamped card. Sound complicated? It's not! Just play! You can also sign on the thread above for Set # 1 if you like.

...and long may she reign!

It’s not very often I’ve been honoured with the privilege to create a card like this one. This is for an amazing woman I’ve never met. She lives in Colorado, and was recently crowned Queen of the Colorado State Fair. She’s an active woman, Captain of her tennis team, always “doing” for others…YOU know the kind!

What makes her so amazing is that Silver Queen Marie Okichick is ONE HUNDRED AND THREE years old. I was lucky to be part of a card shower for her one hundredth birthday, and am simply thrilled to be part of this celebration for her. Her great-grand-daughter Susan is an online card crafting friend and she’s kindly given me permission to tell you about her. The card uses a Judikins rubber stamp, embossed with Top Boss Gold EP. I hand stitched the scrolls in the corners, and added a sprinkling of seed beads. Good old Stickles adorn the crown and the scalloped edge.

My other cards and things can be seen here. Thank you so much for stopping by.

Friendship

This card uses dry embossing and Ornare (paper piercing) with a design template from Ecstasy Crafts, and paper tole pansies. I added Judikins Diamond Glaze and ultra fine glitter to the upper petals. The sentiment stamp is Stampabilities, stamped with Ancient Page Archival Dye Ink, and there are Swarovski crystals on each side of the sentiment.

Oh, and the card's really not crooked, the photo was taken at an angle. All this blogging stuff is still new to me, so I'm discovering things every day. Did you know that if you click on any photos on blogs, they open larger in a new window. ..well WHO KNEW!? (Probably everybody except me!)

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Birthday card for a wonderful old lady

I'm really enjoying circular cards these days. I made this for my favourite mother-in-law (YES I've had more than one, lol). She's eighty years old today! A widow of one year, just last month she sold her family home and moved five thousand miles to live closer to us. She's purchased a condo in our building, two floors up, and we truly couldn't be happier! The centre part of the card is dry embossed on shimmer cardstock with my light box and trusty stylus, and hand stitched with seed beads, then outlined with Krylon 18 Kt gold metallic ink. The centre embellishment is a K & Company fabric brad.