2007 September »

Back to Basics!

Challenges, Holidays, Humor, MFT Designs, Techniques, Thanksgiving/Fall, Watercolor 10 Responses »

Sep 182007

Better late than never – right? I’ve had such a busy day today, switching bedrooms, new mattresses, tons of laundry (had to wash the new bed linens), etc. My mother came over to help this morning, but by the time she got here, half of the work was already done. Which is a good thing because she didn’t need to hauling and lugging mattresses around. Then my sister and aunt dropped by – just because they were out running. Whew! By the time they all left I was totally exhausted.

I did however, early this morning check in on the Splitcoast Color Challenge with that first cup of coffee. Before the chaos ensued, and while laundry was going, I started working on a card. I’ve been in a fall mood of sorts. We are in drought conditions here, the leaves have been falling for close to a month and it’s definitely not safe to sit outside with acorns dropping all around. Have you ever been hit in the head by an acorn? It really does smart! The colors for the Color Challenge today are Really Rust, Chocolate Chip and Sahara Sand. Definitely fall colors!

I decided to get back to basics today. No designer paper, no sewing, not many embellishments. I’ve had Falling for You from My Favorite Things for some time now, but have yet to finish a card with it. Today was the day. I loosely stamped a small scene, and then water colored with reinkers. I can’t remember the last time I pulled out the watercolor paper and the reinkers – and I have to say I got lost in the creative process. It’s basic water coloring – no stamps for enhancement, only a cup of water and a brush. The entire image was water colored on dry paper, until I came to the pile of leaves. I wanted a more blended look for the leaves. So I painted the pile of leaves with water first, then with my brush dabbed little drops of reinker into the water and let it bleed and run together. To soften the grassy area, I just lightly ran over the areas with a wet brush to make more shadows, etc. Instead of sewing the final layers together, I doodled dashes all around the panel and then made the photo corners. The photo corners and the sentiment are raised on mounting tape. Sometimes it’s inspiring to get back to what you loved so many years ago.

Stamps: Falling for You by My Favorite Things

Paper: Canson Watercolor Paper; SU River Rock, Chocolate Chip, and Really Rust

Ink: Soft Sky, Blue Bayou, Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel, True Thyme, Old Olive, Really Rust, Ruby Red, More Mustard, Jet Black Stazon

Accessories: Reinkers, Watercolor Brush, Mounting Tape, American Crafts Ribbon. Chocolate Chip Marker

Boxed up for Giving!

Challenges, Christmas, Gift Boxes, Holidays, Lizzie Anne Designs 11 Responses »

Sep 172007

Happy Monday! I was going to say good morning, but by the time I crawled out of bed my morning was half gone – so it is afternoon! My weekend was not what I had planned, but hey – a mom has to do what mom has to do. I spent all Saturday cleaning in the basement. The middle area, which is more of a gathering place for the girls and their friends, was a total mess. It seemed that anything not wanted got piled on the sofa, shoved here and there, until there was only a small path to walk through the area. While I was on a roll of cleaning up the old laundry room, I figured I might as well tackle the middle. Moreover, Kate’s boyfriend was here and he could help me get the heavy items out for the garbage. I feel like I have one more money off my back!

Yesterday was the day of aches and pains. I can’t believe how out-of-shape and sore I was after a day of cleaning. This tells me one thing – I must start walking and working out a little. My family will jump up and down for glee since they keep telling me, get your nose out of that computer. So last night, after a day of not finding my mojo to stamp, I lit a fire outside, sat on the deck with the pups – it was such a beautiful night. The more I sat there the more the stiffness sat in. So I decided it was time to spend about 30 minutes in the hot tub. The weather here has been so hot that I haven’t even used it all summer, but last night the temps were just right. Ah the feeling of total relaxation – gotta love it!

So this morning, after some coffee and playing with the pups I checked in on Splitcoast. Of course, I had to check out today’s Try a New Technique challenge and must to more joy, it’s making one of Jenn Balcer’s 2-5-7-10 Box. Now I have been wanting to try one of these for quite some time but have not been able to work it in. I finally did today – WOO HOO!

I followed Jenn’s tutorial that you can find here, but decided not to stamp my box. I chose instead to work with a piece of my new BasicGrey Dasher paper. I picked this up recently on a short shopping spree at Hobby Lobby and the seal had not even been broken – until today. I picked the tree from Glad Tiding by Lizzie Anne Designs and stamped the image in VersaMark on the DP and then embossed with Dazzling Diamond Dust. Of course, the photo doesn’t quite pick up the sparkle but in real life – ooh I do like it! I made the medallion by stamping the MC circle stamp from the same set in Old Olive and then kept layering it on the same papers as the image panel. Both panels are raised on mounting tape. However, I did double mount the circle medallion so that it would be raised over the tree panel. Instead of using the corner rounder punch for the scallops on the flap, I pulled out my old Fiskars Cloud edged scissors.

Stamps: Glad Tiding by Lizzie Anne Designs

Paper: Dasher Flannel Shirt by BasicGrey, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, SU Old Olive and Soft Sky

Ink: VersaMark, SU Old Olive

Accessories: SU Soft Sky Double Stitched Ribbon, 1-1/4″ and 1-3/8″ Circle Punches, Double Circle Punch, Fiskars Cloud Edged Scissors, Dazzling Diamond Dust, Mounting Tape

Sorry for the long-winded post, I realize that I just got carried away and while I was doing so, the darn puppy just chewed the edge off the wood work in the studio – and guess who is going to be in trouble – ME!

Just Because We Wanna - JBWW Weekly Challenge

JBWW Challenges 22 Responses »

Sep 162007

Good Sunday morning and welcome to Just Because We Wanna Blog Challenge #2. Wow both Jeanne a/k/a Inky Paws and I were amazed at the overwhelming response we had last week with Challenge #1 and have looked forward all this week to the next challenge. We would like to give a BIG SHOUT OUT OF THANKS to all who participated last week. Every card was just beautiful and glittery and so inspiring! Thank you all for having fun with us.

It’s my turn this week to post the challenge and I have to say that I was inspired for this one. I posted a Sympathy card a couple of weeks ago and Jan Hunnicutt cased my card, posted it on her blog and then sent me an email that it would make a great sketch challenge. So guess what? Yep, it is our challenge this week. Here is my original card:

The original card was 5.5×5.5 square and had rounded corners as you can see in the above photo.

Here is the sketch challenge today:

You are to stay true to the sketch/layout, but can change up the size to a smaller (or even larger) card if you wish, double up your layers, embellishments, etc., the only thing that we ask is that you follow the sketch. Please upload your card to either your blog or your Splitcoast Gallery, (if you upload to the SCS Gallery, please use keyword JBWW) and then come back and post a link here in the comment section.

We can’t wait to see your fabulous creations again this week, and I’ll be back a little later with my own new sample. I was just a little tired (and sore) from cleaning in the basement all day to actually stand and stamp Saturday night (when I was actually working on this post). Yes I’m a stander and my feet hurt!!!!

A Game of Tag, Sump Pump Woes and Challenges

Her Badness 6 Responses »

Sep 152007

Well I was coming on today to write a post about what I’ve been doing today instead of stamping and found at that I was tagged by Frances (StampOwl on SCS). So let me play along with the tag, and then I’ll share what’s going on.

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car) Chadwick Lincoln

2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fav ice cream flavor, favorite cookie) Peach Oatmeal (somehow I feel this should be switched with the Rock Star Name)

3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name) SCHEE

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal) Purple Dog

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born) Lynn Louisville

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first) CheSh

7. SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd favorite color, favorite drink put “The”) The Green Coffee

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers) Willard Ivy

9. STRIPPER NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne, favorite candy) I don’t wear perfume and don’t have a favorite so I’m gonna go with 2 candys instead: Snickers Almond Joy

10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ) Mardelle Milton

So that just about does the tag game, except that I need to tag a few others. Hmmm I will tag:

Jeanne Streiff at Inky Paws

and for the fun of it, new blogger, Sharon Johnson at No Time to Stamp.

Since the sump pump episode earlier this week, I’ve been on a mission of cleaning. Today I was all set to walk in the studio and stamp all day. Then, Kate’s boyfriend came in and was hanging out until he had to go to work. Little did he know that I was going to put him to work too. Actually, the idea just came to me out of the blue — I had a desk and love-seat in the basement that I have been trying to get rid of for a couple of years now. Thanks to Will’s strong back and brawn, they are now sitting out for the garbage man. WOO HOO! But that has then lead to cleaning and reorganizing the middle of the basement — which I need to get back to now.

I do however, want to remind everyone (and the main reason I came to post) that tomorrow’s Just Because We Wanna blog challenge will be posted here on my blog in the morning. Jeanne and I so enjoyed everyone participating with us last week and the cards submitted have been truly amazing. You girls absolutely rock!

Picture Show Stamps

Challenges, Halloween, Holidays, MFT Designs, Picture Show Stamps, Stampin' UP! 16 Responses »

Sep 142007

TGIF! It seems like this has been a very long week. So much has happened here, and most of it not stamping related. My goal today – spend as much time as possible n the studio! I have a few deadlines looming and the need to create is close to becoming a must.

I’ve had a few emails and messages about the stamp used on the card I’m going to show you today. I actually made this card a few weeks ago for a Splitcoast Sketch Challenge, and never got around to posting here. Anyhoo, about the stamp. While walking around Stampaway in Cincinnati, I was drawn to one particular booth – Picture Show. Their stamps were so unique and different – funny stamps, serious stamps, classic stamps – and they were small and unmounted. Perfect for someone who has maxed out storage space in their studio. It was the end of the day for me when I found this booth. Money was running low so I was only able to pick up a few stamps – some that I thought were absolutely hilarious with unlimited possibilities. When I checked out, I asked the husband of the owner if they had a website. Much to my dismay, NO! He said his wife just wasn’t interested in computers. So, the only way I know how to get these stamps – is to run across them at a stamping convention. If anyone has information that I am not privy too – please pass it along. I would love to have more of their stamps!

One of the stamps, is this little girl. She reminds me of Wednesday Adams but I really don’t think she has a name, just a number. Poor girl! The minute I saw her, I knew that she had many possibilities and saying EEK was one of them. So I did combine her up with the Eek sentiment from Fright Night by My Favorite Things. My aunt has requested a birthday card made with her – that is one of my projects today!

Stamps: SU Cheesecloth and Best Fiends; Girl from Picture Show; Fright Night from My Favorite Thinks

Paper: SU Basic Black, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White

Ink: Adirondack Pitch Black

Accessories: Ribbon, Circle Punches, Copic Markers, Mounting Tape