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First Attempts at Soldering!

Road Trips, Rubbernecker, Soldering, Stampers Anonymous, Techniques, Wearable Art 14 Responses »

Aug 062008

Happy Wednesday! I’m running a bit late today. I ran a few errands with Mallory this morning to finish getting the criticals for her move back to campus. Besides, there was a necessary stop at Hobby Lobby for me! I just HAD to purchase a soldering tool. Oh yeah you heard right, a soldering tool. The only thing my husband has asked is that I be extremely careful and not burn down the house. He knows me so well!

While in Dallas last weekend, hanging with some stampin’ friends from the Hanna Stamps Design Team one of our planned activities was to learn to solder. Well, we also had some sight seeing fun too. Here we all are on the grassy knoll in downtown Dallas. We had just left the Book Depository Museum and wanted to see for ourselves if it was possible to make that shot from the square window pictured above us.

Left to right: Shannon Tompkins, Bev Gerard (our hostess), Judy Workman, Kristi Ferro, Pam Hooten and myself.

I thought it would be fun to show you the necklace I made. However, you are not going to see the first one at all (there were too many four letter words uttered), but I will show you the second one. After getting an email about the August Technique Challenge on Tim Holtz’ blog, I had an idea and just HAD to try it. So, I did – on glass instead of fragments.

Needless to say, I’m hooked – a new addiction! I had to have my own soldering tool, beads, and all the other necessary items. Hopefully I will make vast improvements in my technique.

Before I leave you today, I would like to point out that Rubbernecker has extended the sale on the Ranger Pigment Pads and reinkers. Not only have they extended this sale, but for any order of products (rubber stamps and cling excluded) more than $25 you will receive 10% off your entire order. I so need to go shopping!

Here’s hoping you have a great day! I’m going to go organize my new soldering tools.

Back Home in Indiana!

Rubbernecker, Tag Art 19 Responses »

Aug 052008

Good morning! Have y’all missed me? I spent a long weekend in Dallas, Texas with some of my stampin’ buds and just got home yesterday afternoon. Ahhhh good times and I’ll have a few photos to share later in the week. Let’s just say it was a weekend of girl talk, sight seeing and some major stamping!

You also know it’s Tuesday right? That means it’s Treasure Hunt Tuesday at Rubbernecker, BUT before I give you the regular blah, blah, blah, we have a couple of Guest Designers I would like to tell you about! Please help us welcome Bev Gerard a/k/a Tex, and Juliana Swanson a/k/a Jules! I’m so excited to have these ladies join us for the next few months and just know that they’ll have some exciting things to share with you. Please stop by their blogs today and say hello!

So, here’s the regular blah, blah, blah, blah:

Arrrrrrr ye mateys, it be a Tuesday and ya know what that means. It’s Treasure Hunt Tuesday at Rubbernecker Stamp Company. Put ye swashbuckling skills to the test and plunder all the treasure that be waitin’ fer ya. Set sail along with me mates and join us fer the first clue. Along ye way, there are a few ports ya need be stoppin’ at. There be some extra to be found today – set sail now and visit Shelly and Tami! After ye stops there, head on over to Rubbernecker where ye will find the first clue and more deets on how ya may claim ye bounty! You’ll also want to take note that the Ranger Adironack Pigment Pads and Reinkers are on sale. While ye are sailing around today, make sure ye stop and visit the rest of me mates, Kittie, Candy, Broni, and Linda.

While stampin’ with my buds this past weekend, I taught them how to make the following tag. Actually, this is the tag we made less the embellishments. I had to wait until I got home to dress it up. I forgot to take a few things with me in my mad dash to get to the airport.

The floral flair was stamped with Creative Memories Ginger paint (at least I think that is what is was), and the Scattered Straw and Faded Jeans Distress Ink were worked onto the tag, wiping away the excess from the flairs. The middle flower image was stamped in Vintage Photo. The sentiment and side borders were stamped in Archival Jet Black. Just for fun, the edges were distressed and then sponged with the Vintage Photo. For the added embellishments, I painted two pieces of Grunge Board with Faded Jeans Distress Crackle Paint, leaving some of the Grunge Exposed, and then highlighted both with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. The ribbon is attached to a Trinket Pin and tied off in a bow.

Stamps: Tim Holtz Nature’s Discovery (Stampers Anonymous) available soon from Rubbernecker Stamp Company
Paper: Manilla Shipping Tag
Ink: Ranger Tim Holtz Vintage Photo, Faded Jeans, and Scattered Straw Distress Ink, Archival Jet Black
Accessories: Ranger Inkssentials Ink Blending Tool; Tsukineko Sponge Dauber; Tim Holtz idea-ology Long Fasteners, Trinket Pin, and Grunge Board Elements; Making Memories Paint

Have a fabulous day today!

Bringin' My Own Bottle

Challenges, Rubbernecker, Techniques, Watercolor 11 Responses »

Jun 232008

Good Monday morning! Well just a few more days, and Jeanne and I head off for Stampfest Orlando. I’ve been frantically trying to catch up on stamping projects and the fog is finally lifting. I’ll be taking along some things to work on while I’m gone – Hey, I’m gonna be in Kittie’s stamp room for a few days! Wonder if she’ll let me stamp or make me organize before I can?

It’s my pleasure to host the Try a New Technique Challenge on Splitcoaststampers today, SC174 – Hittin’ the Bottle. With almost everyone coloring with Copic Markers (myself included) these days, there have been many conversations about alternatives to water coloring, for those that don’t have the Copics. I know myself that I have stepped away from the basics that I used to enjoy. It’s just that those darn Copics are right there in front of me and just so darn handy and quick. I’ve reached for my Prismacolor pencils a few times, but always end up putting them back. I’ve also seen some conversations about watercolor crayons, and honestly, I don’t like mine. So, to challenge myself and to fill a gap in the conversations, I challenged everyone to color with reinkers.

Here’s my sample card made for the challenge.

I stamped the image in Ranger Archival Jet Black on Canson Watercolor Paper, and then taking a water brush, I added water to the areas that I wanted to color first. I let it setup with the paper for a few minutes and then added my colors using Distress Ink reinkers. I kept working in small areas using the same technique until I had the image painted. The background panel is stamped very lightly with the diamond background in a coordinating color.

Stamps: KK Originals Flowers #2 Collection Iris SKU:30-10 KK and Stamp Oasis Backgrounds Collection Diamond Background SKU:1340 SO from Rubbernecker Stamp Company
Paper: Canson Watercolor; Prism Spring Willow Medium and Dark, Majestic Purple Medium
Ink: Ranger Archival Jet Black, Tim Holtz Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint, Antique Linen, Milled Lavender, Dusty Concord and Faded Jeans Distress Inks
Accessories: Ribbon; Mounting Tape; Tsukineko Sponge Dauber; Water Brush; Pallette

Before I leave you today, there is a little surprise I want to share. I’m gonna have a big announcement on Wednesday and you are definitely going to want to come back then. Lots of big things happening at Rubbernecker, and one of them will be announced on Wednesday! WOO HOO!

Have a great day!

More Shimmer and FLowers

Lizzie Anne Designs 6 Responses »

Jun 182008

Good afternoon! Jeanne got here last night around 8:30, and by the time we stopped for drive through, got back to the house and got her settled, we only had a few hours to chat before we both just crashed. We have errands to run today, but I had a brainstorm (and yes it did hurt) for the Sketch Challenge on SCS today. I couldn’t wait to make that second , walk the pups while waiting and then head to the stamp room. Jeanne is still down there working away! She claims to be working in slow motion today.

Anyhoo, what I decided to do was incorporate both the Sketch and Technique Challenges today. Once I got the image stamped, I realized that I was going to need to go to a bigger card. Cut the panel wrong in the beginning. Oh well, we now have a 5-1/2″ square card.

All the panels started out as Neenah Classic Crest Solar White. I stamped the flowers and the swirls, and then misted the paper with Shimmer Mist made with Scattered Straw and Gold Perfect Pearls. The sentiment panel is just a scrap of white, misted with the Shimmer Mist and the sentiment stamped in black. The flower panel was distressed, and then all the edges of the white (now shimmery) were sponged with Adirondack Latte.

Stamps: In the Meadow and So Swirly from Lizzie Anne Designs
Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; SU Basic Black and Kraft
Ink: Ranger Archival Jet Black, Adirondack Cranberry and Latte, Tim Holtz Scattered Straw Distress Ink
Accessories: Ranger Mini Mister, Gold Perfect Pearls; Tonic Tim Holtz Distress Tool; Tsukineko Sponge Dauber; Ribbon; Mounting Tape

I hope you have a great day today! We are off to run some errands and I’m gonna get a quick haircut.

Shimmer and Glimmer

Challenges, Grunge Paper/Board, Lizzie Anne Designs, Tag Art, Techniques 6 Responses »

Jun 162008

Good Monday afternoon! I can’t believe it is already this late. I started the morning off running errands, bank, store, blah blah blah. Now here’s the best part of my day! I emailed Jeanne to see if she was getting close to being ready to fly in on Thursday. I went on downstairs to work on today’s Try a New Technique Challenge, and Jeanne called. Jeanne isn’t coming in on Thursday. She gets here TOMORROW! You know I vaguely telling me her plans had been changed but it was probably one of those moments when I really wasn’t paying attention. It also goes to tell you how often she ACTUALLY reads my blog, because I’ve only been talking about her getting here on Thursday for a week! On the downside, the house may not be as spotless as I would want it to be. However, on the upside, I’m gonna have some help getting the shirts made for the Epilepsy Walk this coming Saturday! WOO HOO! One of my errands this morning was to go buy mine, Jeanne’s and Mallory’s shirts as well as the transfer paper. Now I just have to rework the design in a program that allows me to print iron-on transfers, and I’m golden!

Speaking of the Epilepsy Walk, I’m going to give a shameless plug. If you haven’t read Kate’s Story, we are doing the Walk Around Kentuckiana this coming Saturday for the Epilepsy Foundation of Kentuckiana. Even though through your great generosity, we have far exceeded Kate’s goal, we are still taking donations through the week. Before I start to get weepy again, I’m going to move onto today’s stamping.

When I checked on Beth’s Splitcoast Try a New Technique Challenge today, I laughed myself silly. Beth and I had been working on this technique during the demos at the Collinsville Stamp Show a few weeks ago, and I was teasing her that it would make a great challenge. By golly she did it – and better yet, she made her own samples! WOO HOO Beth!

Today’s Technique Challenge is to use Shimmer and/or Glimmer Mist to add some shimmer and shine to your project. To make my own Shimmer Mist, I use a Ranger Mini Mister, add one dropper full of Tim Holtz Distress Reinker and then a bit of Ranger Perfect Pearls. I actually use my scissors and pick up the Perfect Pearls on the end of it and drop them into the Mini Mister. Fill the bottle with water, just a bit down from the top, and give it a good shake. It lasts forever and I make a number of bottles at one time depending on the color I’m using. (i.e., I will make 4 Mini Misters at one time all with the same color of ink, but each with different colors of Perfect Pearls). I write on the side of the Mini Mister the combination – Scattered Straw Gold, etc., and then keep them stored in an old coffee mug on my desk.

Instead of making a card today, I decided on a tag using a number of sets from Lizzie Anne Designs.

I took a manilla shipping tag and stamped a few swirls from So Swirly in Milled Lavender. Once that had dried, I misted the tag with Broken China Gold, Dusty Concord Pearl and Scattered Straw Gold Shimmer Mists. The swirls that I had stamped earlier absorbed some of the color of the Shimmer Mist and popped out from the background. Flowers from In the Meadow were randomly stamped in Dusty Concord. The sentiment, from Say It in Script, was stamped on a separate tag, trimmed, and then misted with Scattered Straw Gold and Broken China Gold Shimmer Mist. The edges were distressed with my distress tool and then sponged with Dusty Concord. The sentiment panel is raised on mounting tape. For some added dimension to the tag, I inked a Grunge Board flourish with Milled Lavender and then misted it with more Shimmer Mist. The Grunge Board is attached to the tag using Ranger Glossy Accents.

Here’s a close up of the sentiment panel and Grunge Board hoping to show some of the shimmer on the tag.

Stamps: In the Meadow, So Swirly and Say it in Script from Lizzie Anne Designs
Paper: Manilla Shipping Tag
Ink: Ranger Archival Jet Black, Tim Holtz Broken China, Milled Lavender and Dusty Concord Distress Inks
Accessories: Ranger Mini Misters, Pearl and Gold Perfect Pearls, and Glossy Accents; Tim Holtz idea-ology Grunge Board Elements; Tonic Tim Holtz Distress Tool; Tsukineko Sponge Dauber; Paula Best Fibers