2007 June » » Page 4

What a Weekend!

Uncategorized 6 Responses »

Jun 102007

For those of you on Splitcoast, you know we had a major crash on Friday night. The following was to be my post on Saturday morning, but I just got back into my blog. Email subscribers stay tuned, I’m trying to work on the feed and see what’s up! Anyhoo,

For the past week, every time I walk out the front door with the puppy I’ve been hearing a funny sound. It’s coming from the pachysandra along the front walkway. At first I thought it might be a baby bird that had lost its way. But no, the noise sounds more like a chipmunk or maybe a baby squirrel. It’s one of those things that peak your curiosity, but yet you are afraid to really look for fear of what you might find. I’ve poked around with a stick, moving back the ground cover but I’ve never seen anything.

Yesterday we had a nice size storm. When it was over, I took the puppy out and while she was running around and playing, I decided to pull a few weeks. I went to the end of the sidewalk and was pulling up a small tree when I pulled up the bottom branch of the azalea and look what I found!

After doing a little investigative work on the web, this is the culprit behind the noise. I’m still not sure what type of frog this is. I’ve pretty well eliminated a tree frog and I’m thinking more of a marsh frog based on the noise it makes. There are a few ponds close by and with the dry weather we’ve had, I wouldn’t be surprised if the creatures that live there have gone out looking for new homes. So if anyone knows anything about this frog, I would surely appreciate knowing what type it is.

Now I’m heading to the studio, locking myself in and stamping. Deadlines are looming and I am so very far behind that it’s not even funny.

Oh Man!

Challenges, Chipboard/Illustration Board, Sewing/Stitching, Stampendous, Techniques, Watercolor 11 Responses »

Jun 102007

Because of the crash on Splitcoast, I’ve lost the last 2 posts I made. Now I do have the description for the Peony Square, but the one about the cupcakes (which I thought was one of my better revelations) I don’t have. I’m going to repost them both here starting with the cupcake card. Sorry for the repeat, but just trying to catch up!

Now for the Peony Square, in it’s entirety:

Well, it’s Friday and another week has passed. This morning I’m up early and out but I wanted to have some stamping for you. I actually did this card over last weekend, and decided to hold it for a day when I couldn’t stamp. And that be today!

Because of Jenn Balcer’s great inspiration, I just had to get the Stampendous Peony Square from eclectic Paperie. I love peonies, but do not have the necessary sun to grow them. However, I do admire all the ones in my neighbors’ yards while I drive down the road.

The image was stamped in Black Stazon on watercolor paper. I then water colored the image (which took me way too many hours) with reinkers and markers. Now if you haven’t tried them, I am really lovin’ these Tsukineko fantastix coloring tools that I got from eclectic Paperie. They can be used with chalking, bleaching, blending, etc., and are so easy to use. I knew while coloring the image that I wanted to use Cool Caribbean as my card base but didn’t know about the background. Once I had the image colored, I loved the brightness of it so much, that I picked a soft muted DP from BasicGrey Stella Ruby. The sentiment is from Happy Harmony and is stamped on the DP in Black Stazon. I stitched the sides of the DP to the black background layer and then used a piece of black velvet ribbon (that I got in one of Jody Morrow’s great ribbon shares). All products unless noted are from Stampin’ UP!

Stamps: Stampendous Peony Square from eclectic Paperie, Happy Harmony

Ink: Black Stazon, Pretty in Pink, Pixie Pink, Rose Red, Cool Caribbean, Summer Sun, Marigold Morning, Old Olive, True Thyme

Paper: Watercolor, Basic Black, Cool Caribbean, Stella Ruby by BasicGrey

Accessories: Markers, Ribbon, Mounting Tape, Sewing Machine, Tsukineko Fantastix Coloring Tool

Baroque Motifs

Challenges, Stampin' UP! 12 Responses »

Jun 062007

Guess who came to my house yesterday. MR. BROWN that’s who! He brought all sorts of new rubbah, new colors, new paper! It took me all day to get the studio reorganized and everything put away. Let alone get the new stamps mounted. But I’m so glad I got it all done yesterday, because today I can stamp.

This card is for the Sketch Challenge over on Splitcoast today. When I saw the layout of the sketch, I knew immediately what I was going to do. This is the first card made with my new Baroque Motifs. I even used the new colors Blue Bayou and River Rock. I think I’m really going to love these new colors! As I hope you can see, the flower was stamped in the different colors, trimmed out and then distressed. Using my handy dandy wedge sponge, I also sponged all the edges of the River Rock layers.

Stamps: Baroque Motifs

Ink: River Rock, Blue Bayou

Paper: River Rock, Blue Bayou

Accessories: Brads, Dimensionals, Wedge Sponge

Hope everyone has a great day. I’m off to stamp!

Such Excitement!

MFT Designs 10 Responses »

Jun 042007

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a great weekend. We finally got some long needed rain. Which means I should be out in the yard digging up and transplanting some plants, but . . . Had a very restful and exciting weekend actually. Got a little stamping done and had a wonderful surprise. Actually I’ve had two great surprises. I left the house early this morning to run a few errands (that dreaded banking stuff), and when I came home there was a box on my doorstep. Inks, chalk inks, fabulous VersaMagic Dew Drop chalk inks. I had to play naturally.

So the card for today is water colored with my new chalk inks and Fantastix brush point (which by the way, you can find at eclectic Paperie). I just received Let’s Go for a Walk from My Favorite Things last week and since I wanted this set soooooo BAD, I figured today was a good day to use.

I stamped the image in Timber Brown Stazon on watercolor paper and colored with my new inks. The sentiment is stamped on Whisper White. To give the party hat a little frill, I took a scrap of coral ribbon and shredded the ends. The background is Whisper White run through the Cuttlebug using the Spots & Dots embossing folder.

Stamps: Let’s Go for a Walk by My Favorite Things

Paper: Whisper White, Watercolor, Cameo Coral, Chocolate Chip

Ink: Timber Brown Stazon; Thatched Straw, Sahara Sand, Wheat, Gingerbread, Jumbo Java, Pink Grapefruit and Key Lime – Tsukineko VersaMagic Chalk Ink

Accessories: Cuttlebug, Spots & Dots Embossing Folder, Ribbon, Dimensionals, Marker, Tsukineko Fantastis Coloring Tool

Are you curious what the second surprise is? Well I’m going to Orlando on June 19th for Orlando Stampfest 2007, and my roomie for the week is none other than Jeanne Streiff a/k/a Jeanne S on Splitcoast. Now how exciting is that!!!!! I get to spend the week with my fellow design team member traipsing around the Orlando area. WOO HOO!!!!!

A Flourish of Thank You's!

Uncategorized 17 Responses »

Jun 022007

Good Saturday morning (oops, wait it’s afternoon now)! I slept in a little late this morning. I love those Saturdays when you don’t have to set an alarm, wake up when you want to, and just loll around. The only problem is this Saturday I slept until 10:30. Now for those of you who know me, this is completely out of the ordinary for me and quite frankly I was astounded and muttered to myself that half my day was gone already. I suppose I needed the sleep though and that was my body’s way of telling me!

Last night everything around here was quiet. The girls were gone, Sydney was on a road trip with Kate, I was watching a movie and chatting a little on Splitcoast. My mind was running with all the stamping projects I need to get done and the time frame in which I have to do them. When out of the blue – it hit! An idea for Mallory’s thank you cards for Graduation. Being the creative wonder that I am, when it came time to order the Graduation announcements, etc., thank you cards were not something I was willing to pay for. Hey, I could use that money for other stamping stuff – ! Anyhoo, the idea just popped into my head and off I ran to the studio and here’s the result!

Using the bigger flourish from Pollen Dust by fancy pants design (that I picked up from eclectic Paperie) I stamped it in Real Red on Whisper White. Of course, the school colors are red and white. I also stamped Thank You from SU’s Warmest Regards in Real Red and embossed the entire card in a combination of holographic and kaleidoscope EP. (I don’t know about you, but when I get a little low on EP, I will mix it all together for a sometimes interesting EP.) The front image panel was then mounted on Real Red and put on a card base of white. Mallory likes them so all is well with the world!

Stamps: Pollen Dust by fancy pants designs (eclectic Paperie), Warmest Regards by Stampin’ UP!

Ink: Real Red

Paper: Whisper White, Real Red

Accessories: Holograph and Kaleidoscope Embossing Powder