2008 January »

Coloring Stained Glass!

Challenges, Copic Markers, Rubbernecker 11 Responses »

Jan 182008

Whoa it’s Friday and before I head out the door to pick up Daughter #2 from school, I thought I would share something I made yesterday afternoon. After I had already completed a card for the Ways to Use it Challenge on Splitcoast, I remembered that I had this great image from Rubbernecker that would be perfect. The challenge yesterday was all about embossing. So many of us used to emboss all the time. I know I did when I first started stamping. There are still a few techniques that I love involving embossing, but I hardly emboss anymore.

I stamped the image in black craft ink and embossed with Disco Black embossing powder. I colored the image then with Copic Markers being very careful not to touch the embossing. While coloring an embossed image with Copic Markers you don’t want to touch the EP. If you do, the embossing will smear and take away the shine of the EP. To do the background in the stained glass, I water colored with Broken China reinker instead of using Copic Markers. There were so many little spots of embossing, I knew that the image would turn black. Once I had finished the image, I cut it out along the edges, and used a black marker to cover any white paper that was still exposed. The image was so vibrant and colorful, I couldn’t bring myself to put it on any other color cardstock beside white. This card measures 4 x 7 ½ and will fit in a regular sized business envelope. The ribbon was wrapped around the top panel of the card and tied in a bow before the image was fixed to the front.

Stamps: Rubbernecker Stain Glass Collection 227-03 Hummingbird Stain Glass from Rubbernecker Stamp Company

Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White

Ink: Black Craft and Tim Holtz Broken China Distress Ink

Accessories: Copic Markers, Black Disco EP, Ribbon, Broken China Reinker, Watercolor Brush

Before I leave you today, I noticed this morning that Rubbernecker Stamp Company is running a new special. RUBBERNECKER BUCKS MONTHLY GIVE AWAY! You’ll want to check out the Home Page for all the deets, but in essence for every $20 in merchandise ordered there is a chance to win $100 in rubber stamps.

Anyhoo, I’m getting ready to head out and don’t know how much stamping time I’m gonna have this weekend. Hopefully I will be painting my new stamp room!! Cross your fingers for me!

Cowboy Series #3

Challenges, Copic Markers, Lizzie Anne Designs, Masculine, Sewing/Stitching, Techniques 4 Responses »

Jan 172008

Happy Thursday! We have snow today, real snow. The kids across the street were waiting for the bus this morning and it was such fun to watch them play in the snow. I’m not talking tons of snow. Actually it is less than a half inch, but wet and pretty as it was falling heavier at that time. This is the Ohio Valley. It either goes around the valley or get down into the valley. I think this time it is going to go around us again. When this type of pretty, wet snow gets down in the valley we can have a foot of snow easy.

Enough of my babbling about snow. I was up early and waiting for the Ways to Use it Challenge on Splitcoast. It’s all about embossing today! It’s a rerun of an old challenge, to use embossing powders in our design. I rarely use embossing powders anymore, and I was looking for a new creative way to use it. What I ended up doing, as you can see in the photo below, was to take a Tsukineko Fantastix Bullet Point Coloring Tool, dab it on my VersaMark pad to pick up the ink, and then cover the ice cream in the cone with VersaMark. I sprinkled Ranger Ultra Thick Embossing Powder on the VersaMark and then embossed with my heat tool.

Stamps: Cowboy and High Hellos from Lizzie Anne Designs

Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Kraft, Cosmo Cricket Wanted

Ink: Adirondack Pitch Black, Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink, VersaMark

Accessories: Copic Markers, Sewing Machine, Tsukineko Fantastix Bullet Point Coloring Tool, Ranger UTEE, Ribbon, Brads, Oval Punches, Corner Rounder Punch, Mounting Tape

My Search for Balance!

Challenges, Copic Markers, Rubbernecker 15 Responses »

Jan 162008

I don’t normally make a second post to my blog in a given day, but for this card I just had too! I’ve been working on it for a few days, going back and forth when I had the time. After doing the first card for the SCS Sketch Challenge today, I said myself (yes I even answer myself – scary isn’t it?) “Hey dingie, that image will work for this sketch and you need to finish it anyway.”

I need to explain about my obsession with this image, the kokopelli. I know that some say the kokopelli is a symbol of fertility (pregnancy), but for me it is the symbol of fertility for all life, including hopes, dreams, or love. When I was 40 years old, I started martial arts training. Within 2 ½ years, I had obtained my 1st Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo. Soon after I had obtained my red/black belt, or 1st Degree Black Belt Recommended, while practicing a jump spin hook kick, I fell and tore the ACL in my left knee. During my physical therapy, I was struggling with keeping the balance in my life that I had achieved. I searched for many months for a necklace made of certain stones. My mother, while on a trip and shopping out west, bought me up a silver kokopelli necklace made of jade, turquoise and coral. I wore this necklace continually and never took it off. When I was 45, and on a road trip with some friends, a couple of us woke up one morning and decided to get tattoos. Yes, my tattoo is of the kokopelli necklace that my parents gave me. No, you can’t see it unless I decide to show you – and that is something I’m not very willing to do! That is why it is on my body! When I got my tattoo, a permanent reminder of the balance I like to have in my life, I quit wearing the necklace constantly. By the way, Bad Bev and I do call him the Party Down Dude as well!

I started by stamping the image of the kokopelli and colored it with Copic Markers. To make the background panel for the kokopelli, I painted a piece of white cardstock with Scattered Straw Crackle Paint. Once it was dry, I tore the edges off to the desired size, and sprayed the Crackle Paint with Shimmer Mist. To make the shimmer mist, I put a small amount of Bronze Perfect Pearls into a Mini Mister, a dropper full of Scattered Straw Distress Ink and finished the mix by adding water until the mister was not quite full. I shook it all up and saturated the crackle paint with it. In real life, this panel just glimmers and the edges look like metallic. (Very hard to get a good picture of.) To make this image fit into today’s Sketch Challenge, I went with a 5.5 square card. The background panel is stamped with a border image in Broken China Distress Ink over the entire turquoise panel. The bottom panel started out as a manilla shipping tag that I distressed with Adirondack Mountain Rose, Broken China and Scattered Straw inks over. I stamped the blanket background on the tag with Black Soot Distress Ink. For the sentiment, I distressed another piece of the tag with Scattered Straw ink and then stamped the sentiment in Black Soot. The top circle panel is a piece of the Crackle Paint panel that was left over. Once I had punched the circle, the edges were sponged with Vintage Photo ink.

Stamps: Rubbernecker Southwest Collection 183-05 Southwest Striplet and 233-01 Indian Blanket Background; Stamp Oasis Southwest Collection 1554 SO Celebration Kokopelli; Stamp Oasis Sentiment Collection 1644 SO Rhythms of Life Text; all from Rubbernecker Stamp Company

Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Black, Turquoise, Manilla Shipping Tag

Ink: Adirondack Pitch Black and Mountain Rose; Tim Holtz Broken China, Black Soot, Scattered Straw, and Vintage Photo Distress Inks

Accessories: Copic Markers, Tim Holtz Scattered Straw Distress Crackle Paint and Distress Reinker; Ranger Mini Mister, Ranger Bronze Perfect Pearls; Tsukineko Oblong Sponge Dauber; Black Jute Twine; Mounting Tape

Products show above, except Copic Markers, can be found at Rubbernecker Stamp Company. (I just noticed that I didn’t put the mini mister in the picture, but it can be found on My Favorites Page).

Sketch Challenge Day!

Challenges, Copic Markers, Easter/Spring, Holidays, Rubbernecker 1 Response »

Jan 162008

Happy Wednesday! All of a sudden it hit me that this week was half over, and I really need to get my butt in gear! Mallory wants to come home this weekend – so I will be traveling Friday to pick her up. I did nothing yesterday but sit here all day, watch soaps and nap. Was a good day! I have to pay for that day today.

Even though I napped yesterday (for a long time), I did go to bed early too. Which means that I didn’t check out the Splitcoast Sketch Challenge until this morning. Love this sketch! I have a few more cards to assemble today and more than likely use this sketch for a few of them.

The bunny image was stamped in Adirondack Pitch Black Ink, and then colored with Copic Markers. Using the Copic Airbrush System, I airbrushed the background by masking the bunny. I made a little boo boo – got a little carried away on the ground and sprayed a little paint on his paw. Needless to say, I am now hooked on the airbrush and am looking for a way to hook it up to my portable air compressor. Need to make a trip to the hardware store. For the base background of the card, I stamped the dotted background in VersaMark. The designer paper was cut to size and then the edges were sponged with Dried Marigold Distress Ink. The sentiment was stamped in Stazon Timber Brown and the edges were sponged with Dried Marigold. Instead of using brads today, which seems to be a mainstay for me, I opted for eyelets. Unusual I know, but fun nonetheless. To balance the main image over the ribbon, strips of mounting tape were placed at the bottom and in the middle.

Stamps: Rubbernecker Easter Collection 84-09 Carrot Bunny, 84-02 Dot Square and 84-13 Spring Time Text by Rubbernecker Stamp Company

Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Green and Pale Orange Cardstock, Bali Breeze Designer Paper

Ink: Adirondack Pitch Black, VersaMark, Stazon Timber Brown, Tim Holtz Dried Marigold Distress Ink

Accessories: Copic Markers, Copic Airbrush System, Making Memories Eyelets, Crop-o-dile, Corner Punch, Double Stitched Ribbon, Mounting Tape, Tsukineko Oblong Sponge Dauber

All products shown above, except Copics, can by found at Rubbernecker Stamp Company.

Treasure Hunt Tuesday!

Copic Markers, Easter/Spring, Holidays, Rubbernecker, Sewing/Stitching, Techniques 8 Responses »

Jan 152008

Ahoy ye mateys! It’s TREASURE HUNT TUESDAY @ RUBBERNECKER. The Treasure if you find it, will be a free image. However, to receive the Treasure a purchase of any size is required, and your treasure must be claimed between 5:00 am PST until 9:00 pm PST today (8:00 am EST – 12:00 am EST). Not only is today Treasure Hunt Day, but for every $50 in stamps purchased, you will receive one FREE stamp. You can check out more information on the Rubbernecker Home Page.

I suppose I should announce the winner of the Tawdry Treats before me move on! I went to Random.org and ran the sequence generator . . . and the post that came to the top was #43. CONGRATULATIONS SHARON L. Here’s what Sharon had to say (which totally cracks me up!):

My best Valentine’s Day gift was from my husband the first year we were married. It was a cushioned toliet seat. Some may think that it wasn’t very romantic, but it was very comfortable and got plenty of use!

Sharon please send me your deets, so that I can get your package out to you!
I have the honors today of giving you your first clue to lead you off on your Treasure Hunt! But first, I’m going to show you my card — your clue just might be found there.

The carrots and the bunny were colored with Copic markers and the sky and ground were airbrushed in using the Copic Airbrush system. I cut the image and the scalloped background out using oval Nestabilities (which are just sitting here and gathering dust — and that is a shame). The background papers are scraps from BasicGrey Romani that were sewn together.

Stamps: Rubbernecker Easter Collection 84-11 Everything Coming Up Carrots and 84-03 Hoppin Text from Rubbernecker Stamp Company

Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, BasicGrey Phoebe

Ink: Adirondack Pitch Black

Accessories: Copic Markers, Copic Airbrush System, Nestabilities, Cuttlebug, Sewing Machine, Ribbon, Mounting Tape

Have you figured out the first clue yet? If you have, then you know that you need to start in the Rubbernecker Easter Collection. If not,