New find! New Artist!

So While I was browsing this post on Jody’s blog a while back I saw her use these cool images from Starving Artistamps designed by Kristin Soboloski. I had to get some. She did a knock out job.

My take with these stamps I feel is less “nature” and earthy, but more whimsical? I had to ask myself if I was doing the natural images justice. But then I reminded myself that stamping is its own form of art , and while we all may use the same images, the beauty in it is seeing each persons “vision” using the same images in very different ways. That is the true art of being a stamper, and always stay true to your own style!

I think I turned these nature images into what I saw in them.

I have to say the solid flower and hummingbird from the set I got (Artful Inkables blossoms and petals 1) is my FAVORITE.

Here is my first card using these images

White on White

For this card I literally just cut/layered my stamped white layer onto white cardstock. I wanted the stamps to be the focal point yet really pop! No need to fuss with ribbon, eyelets, brads or whatever else. SIMPLE!

I used my Twinkling H2O’s to paint on the stamps directly (they are unmounted rubber with ez mount) then stamp onto cardstock. I feel not only does this image sparkle but looks so realistically watercolored. My husbands grandmother LOVES humming birds! I am sending this to her. I have never found a hummingbird stamp that I like until now.

I really wish the shimmer was picked up in the photo.

Here is the next card using the same bird, but a different flower

Black Bird

I just loved how only the image on white has a POP of color which is just the part of the flower image. Not too much to tell just, think of this as lazymans spotlighting! LOL! I really wanted ONE image of color. I love this card.

Daffodil

This card is simple, but I love it. It was my very first ever image colored with my COPIC markers! You can get those beauties at www.allthatscraps.com or www.mftstamps.com 

Great prices and depending on your budget something for everyone!

I colored on Nicole Heady’s white cardstock sold here www.papertreyink.com. Its really fabulous too. Absorbs color amazingly well.

Per Kim @ MFT stamps I got the first 2 sets of Copic Markers A & B! OMG! Can you say LOVE THEM! They are everything they are claimed to be and more. Now to scrounge up the other $ to get the next 2 sets!

Coloring was SO easy! Does my flower not look gorgeous? ESPECIALLY since it was my very first image colored with those beauties. I also have to say that yes I know as far as nature and highlighting the “appropriate areas” I need practice. Im not all “naturey” so I dont know what areas should be darker/lighter I just wing it! LOL! I will attempt to practice more. But all logistics aside I think I did pretty good. Just dont send Sweet Miss Daisy here to see my shadowing! LOL!

OK back to the card-=Love Daisy’s cause they are the flower used for the Cancer Awareness drive in May.

Bug you

Another whimsical design. Single layer. Watercolored using my Twinkling H2O’s. The lily-pad flower was on dimensionals. The dragonfly is from Artful Inkable bugs 1. Flowers are from Artful Inkables plants 1. I think they are the flowers you see on lily-pads.

Anyway just a quickie.

Last but not least

Corner Bloom

Wanted to keep this simple but pretty! I stamped the flower in purple versamagic ink, and cut and layered. Colored with my twinkling H2O’s. Added microbeads to the large sunflower style center.

Click the little thumbnail to see a larger view.

Sketch time! Challenge yourself to layering a little more! Patterned paper comes in handy for this layout.

This little card is to cute and so boy to me! The stamps are from Lizzie Anne Designs. I used Loads of Fun from the Simply Bits collection. Just colored with my markers. The x border is fron the Shapes and Stitches set.

I think its a fun layout for those tags you may have been neglecting. I recently got the Making Memories tag maker and dont want it to be a wasted purchase! LOL! I seriously do love it!

I bought these screw type brads at Oriental Trading YEARS ago.

The patterned paper is by Imaginesce. Its originally black and white. I have used it on some other cards here. I brayered summer sun onto it! I think it now looks like CAUTION stripes! LOL!

I love the stitched ribbon as well.

So I hope you find the time to play along and link it here.

Link you scs gallery here too so I know you played along! Id love to see YOUR take!

This was a new sketch this week, so I hope you enjoy it!

Happy First Day of Summer! I love summertime. I love not having to bundle the kids up in all the jackets, hats, gloves and boots. Cleaning the snow off the car-making Jason shovel  (seeing if you are paying attention! LOL! unfortunately that part is true)

Anyway-its just a nice time of year. Bright cheery colors. Love it.

To start the first day-

Christine from All That Scraps has her own line of stamps called C.C. Designs. You may ahve seen my Bitzy Bugz a while ago. She just released this set called Summer Set. The cool thing about this one is you can either buy the pieces separately (unmounted or wood mount) OR for significant savings buy the SET!! How cool.

 This is a photo of all the images in the “set”. Im lucky to have mine to play with. I love these little images.

Beachy Keen Baby

This is the first card I did using the new set. I used the shadow stamp from her store to create the sand “mound”. Color spritzed it with caramel. Stamped the sand mound on caramel and cut out. Isnt she cute? Her pail is 3D as well. I used the Beach collection of paper on my designs by Memory Box.

Beach Boy-REALLY BRIGHT!

Mainly paper pieced. Excuse the brightness! Hope you had a nice First Day of Summer. It was cold and rainy here!

Who says we dont have to worry about Global Warming eh?

Stay tuned tomorrow for my Saturday Sketch Challenge!

 Here is my New! Vera Bradley bag. Its the Sateen Collection in the Julie. I Love it!!! It doesnt get any better than this! This bag has gorgeous butterflies all over it! And its the perfect size too. I am hopelessly addicted to these purses for some strange reason.

My Stampin Up customer’s from one of my stamping club’s know how much I LOVE Vera Bradley, and as a thank you/goodbye gift they pitched in for a gift certificate for me to our local store that sell’s my most favorite bags! Am I lucky or what? I will miss them all so much! They also made me a gorgeous card, and Im embarrassed to say I cannot find it!

Amber told me it was “her pretty card-not mommy’s” so she hid it “somewhere” before I could even get a photo. I am on a wild hunt for it now!

Anyway my awesome new bag inspired me to make this card with my new Text Boxed set by Paper Trey.

 Vera Beautiful-I call it!       LMBO!!!!!

And here is the other card I did

Spectrum Friendship

I just love pink and black. Im on a black kick lately. HMMMMMM.

Anyway, this used my cotton candy spectrum pad. I felt like the cuttlebug snowflakes folder (go figure) matched the whimsical sunflower perfectly! What did I ever do before my cuttlebug??? Oh my word! I just love it!

I love layering, and thought this was pretty cool. My color spritzer gave it that final touch.

Thanks for looking!!!

So, like many I jumped aboard the Paper Trey Text Boxed crazy train! LOL! And I can’t wait to see what in store next month!

I got tons of Happy Mail yesterday. I have to say that as promised Nicoles white cardstock ROCKS! I cant explain it. Its got a slight texture to it that just absorbs the ink beautifully! Check out my first card-the colors are just amazing on this cardstock.

This was my very first card using this new set! Normally Im anti solid blocks but this one is pretty cool. I am really upset that I lost the larget spiral flower(used on first card below)! UGH!!! Anyone else lose those clear stamps? It always happens! I find it “somewhere” strange in my craft room-eventually. Im totally bummed cause its like my favorite little stamp in the set-

Poppy Trio

You all know PURPLE is my favorite. I LOVE the softness this card has. My Prismacolor markers made this is vibrant too. I also used the Paper Trey Green Thumb set for the flower stems and leaves.

The faux stitching is done using an Onare template.

The cardstock is of course my favorite Martha Stewart! LOL! As is the butterfly punch.

 A slide of dreams

I just love this one! Again Black & White-with some gray. I stamped the microscope slide with stazon with the word “dream”. I just like this.

Simple Sunflower 

More Martha cardstock & Ribbon. I used the Onare template again for a little something x-tra. Just messing around with the design. I like simple sometimes.

Peaceful tiles

Saved the best for last???

This is GORGEOUS in real life. I stamped the leaf block twice on brushed gold cardstock. Once in craft moss, and the other in craft artichoke. They were then embossed with Ultrathick clear embossing powder.

I then cut up the 2 blocks, and then pieced them togheter using the different greens for the pattern.

Isnt it beautiful?

There is a vellum layer that is stamped in gold with a butterfly pattern bkgd I got at a stamp expo. Gold brads attach it to the Natural ivory base. Tied around some gold cord, and I was finished.

I’d love to hear which you like best, and why! I do have a few more done as well but will save it for more eye candy …..tomorrow?????

Enjoy the day!

I LOVE my coffee. That obsession doesn’t stop with my delicious caffeinated drink, it goes into my love for coffee/tea themed stamps as well. Like butterfly stamps if its coffee I need it too! These stamps are from Lizzie Anne Designs, and they are from the Simply Singles line. This is the Latte cup, and Latte Sentiment.

So, for this post I did a card, with a matching altered coffee bag. My friend Laura sent the bag to me! Thank you!!!!! Love it.

So I was thinking of a pretty shelf for my “tea cups” to sit on. I used my Martha Stewart border punch, and made the bottom. I then scored/folded the “shelf” part.

I stamped my cups on the patterned paper by Crate paper (Birdie collection), and cut them out. On one I stamped it on the opposite side, cut and moved the handle! That way I get a reverse image. make sense???? I used So Swirly (also Lizzie Anne) for the steam on the cups.

I stamped a verse from Sketched Sentiments (a must have from LA as well) and popped out with the large oval punch by SU! I then free handed the scalloped border around it. That was NOT fun! Im not good at stuff like that.

Anyway-some Martha Stewart ribbon and cardstock base and I was good to go! I felt the Paisley pattern looked like wall paper!

I also used my same border punch to make place mats under the cups or doilies as many would say.

Cute huh?

Bag of beans 

Well this speaks for itself. The coffee cup is 3D. I used the scalloped oval, cut in 1/2 as my “tablecloth” for the cup to sit on. Primas make everything perfectly pretty!

Thanks for looking!

Hope you enjoy YOUR coffee.

Um, am I suppose to be making girly cards?NO!

 I should be making teachers gifts.

 Did I make a single thing for them today? NOPE! And tomorrow is the LAST DAY!

I cannot believe myself.

But after a nasty thread on SCS I felt compelled to just stamp the day away CAREFREE!!!!!!!!

Im not too worried cause Alexa is going to summer school so I can send the stuff in late! Right?

WoW I sound selfish and terrible dont I?

You know what though, Ive said it before and I will again (especially after bridal shower from HELL week) sometimes we need to be selfish and have MY time!

So FORGET it! LOL!

My emotions have been so up & down these days that I think I really needed this.

So here is what I did (or a portion of it anyway) with MYTIME.

 I cannot remember who makes that delicious paper. Im too tired to go look. SO if you REALLY need to know-email me.

All stamps are by Lizzie Anne Designs. The top card uses Girl Power (also sold at All That Scraps now too!) As does the card below. The “b” block is from the Happy Birthday set.

Cute huh?

B-est friends

Here is one more I did. I told you Ive been getting easily sidetracked!

Its wicked simple but I LOVE it! Something about B&W that I just go nuts for!

Paper is by Imaginesce. Not complete without the bling!

Again nothing fabulous to report. I had NO thoughts, just stamp stamp stamp. So thats what I did.

Hope you are having a good week.

God help me! Summer vacation begins Thursday! EEEK!

FINALLY! DONE!

 Well here it is – Jason’s Father’s Day card. It is by no means the FABULOUS creation I thought I’d make.

Instead I go sidetracked again, and started my uploads for the Dirty Dozen gallery! Cant share those but just thought Id share where my head is at. Im quite excited by what I have so far.

Anyway, my friend Nicole sent me this supah cute image of BeerFella. Thanks girl you saved my hiney!!!! I colored him to look like Jason. My hubby is definitely hotter-but I think this guy fits the bill.

Nothing fabulous to say about him. Him being the card! Jason is an AMAZING parent. I wish I were as good as he is. My children are very lucky to have a dad like him. What I wouldn’t have given for what they have growing up.

Now I just have to sign the thing.

All the cardstock is by Martha Stewart.

Do I know someone who is having a birthday soon? NO

Am I late getting a birthday card out? PROBALLY

Is this for anyone I know? NOPE

Then WHY am I making it? NO IDEA

I thought Id share this card with you today. Trust me, I am not suppose to be making cards for NO reason but I think thats what makes me do it! LOL!

Anyone else have this “problem”? You know, the problem where you set up your supplies because you have to make something in particular, but you somehow mange to end up creating something so NOT what you were suppose to be doing. And it was FUN!

Well this is THAT card.

I just got this set the other day, and the paper.

Its not often I use these colors. I LOVE this paper by KI Memories called Surprise Party Frosty, so I had to use it. You cant tell but the paper shimmers. WAY COOL. I just loved the buttons at the top-Kinda like a fun confetti right-he!he!

One reason I posted this is because Im SO excited that All That Scraps is now carrying Lizzie Anne!!!!!!! Can I get WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Kill 2 birds with ONE stone. Side note: those of you YEARNING for an affordable way to obtain the Copic Markers-here ya go! I am getting mine any day now. PLUS you need to check out the new products.

Dont hate me-I buy as much as I tell you about.

ANYWAYS-

I used the Happy Birthday set, and Shapes and stitches by Lizzie Anne Designs.

For an additional something I did the corner square velum cardstocked with embossed happy birthday block (cuttlebug).

I had to add stickles to my little cupcake! I love coloring images in alternating colors (see candles).

What can I say I love the colors of the card. Plus I like my layout.

I really strive to do cool layouts. Maybe too much sometimes! LOL!

Anyway-have a fun day!

This card was made for ALL of YOU! Those of you who follow my stories and check in regularly. Those who support SCS, and the companies that support them! A BIG HUGE THANK YOU!

This will also be my Saturday Sketch challenge!

I created my own bloom with the stamp set. Its paper pieced, and multi-layered.

Stamp set by Stampendous called Feather Flourish can be found here and here. The For You is by Paper Trey. The circle of thank you is by Stampin Up.

The paper is by Crossed Paths, and is the Friendship collection. Cardstock & ribbon is by Martha Stewart.

Want this????

WOW! As I sit here typing I see I am at almost 50,000 views! AMAZING. Now I know my blog is not the TOP 10, but I just got started, and thats totally NOT my goal. I just really want to share my stamping views, art, and opinions. Its fun to see how many people actually enjoy them.

I LOVE when you share your stories, give me feedback, and all the amazing compliments, emails and support you all offer.

How can I thank you for actually wanting to read what “I” have to say?

Well how about some MYTIME MAIL?

From now- till Sunday night, post your comments here, and I will have the Random Selector pick a winner! You will receive this ENTIRE package of DCWV notecards/env. and 4 new stamps by AC Moore.

All you have to do is tell me something YOU are thankful for this week!

I am thankful that my kids are doing well. Especially Alexa! Her cancer remains in remission, and her prognosis is good. Despite the ups and downs of treatment NO COMPLAINTS!

And that I lost 5lbs this week! Go me! All those twizzlers were starting to catch up! Can you say SHOPPING!

Now its your turn!