Teapot Tuesday

Ok, maybe not my favorite card ever but I DO like how the bow punch worked for making his feet!

Maybe the dragonfly nose was a little too much!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Card Front

Inside

What kind of a valentine do you make for a runner ?

I really toyed with Juliet's idea of black and lacy ... and this is what I came up with.

The inside of the card has a shoe that is raised, which accounts for the shadows in the scan.

Bunting Flags

I always love things with paint chips. It is so much fun to stand at Lowes and be overwhelmed with the colors --- then to choose a few treasures to take home. Unfortunately it is kind of like collecting seashells, once they get home I have NO clue what to do with them.

Today's inspiration challenge over at Splitcoast is from Santa Barbara Chic.  She included this row of Bunting Flags which I decided to copy .... I love them strewn across the inside of this card!

My baby was on Nova tonight!

I am SO proud!  The computer's name is Watson and my baby helped him learn to think -- and to answer jeopardy questions. So far I don't know who won the games that will be on Mon, Tues and Wed of next week, but I do know that Watson had a great showing in the previews and was featured on Nova last night.

http://video.pbs.org/video/1750548999

Here is a cute photo of him ... http://www-03.ibm.com/innovation/us/watson/research-team/strategy.html


The bluejay on my card is because that was the name of the project several years ago when David first started working on it.

Happy Birthday Susan!

I made this card for a dear friend on her birthday --- the patterned paper flowers are embossed in one of the extra large cuttlebug folders. The text is heat embossed then sponged and buffed.  I am really liking how it turned out.

My scanner here is bonkers. The card looks pretty much like the tan one on the left, but my first scan came out blue like the one on the right. I have no idea why!

Zen heart roses

Roses seem awfully appropriate for Valentine's day and I found this great zen pattern of roses made with hearts.  Now to make a card with it!  I am toying with Juliet's idea of black and lacy for Valentines Day with my shoe drawing ... hmmm.... gotta do some serious thinking here.  I plan to use my shoe digi ... it is here and yours if you like.   Sorry about the poor scan, my scanner here is on its last legs.

This is actually a New Balance Shoe, not a Nike like I thought. ( Thanks Juliet! She sure knows her shoes!)

Card is already made in my head ... when I get it made in the real world, I will post it.

I did the drawing, but Juliet came up with a ton of phrases to use with it ...

"Excuse me while I slip into something comfortable"
"Let's go tie one on"       
"You're my solemate"       
"We've been together a long time"       
"I thought you'd get a kick outta this"

"I hope you aren't feeling run down."

"I shoe miss you"
"I'm baring my sole to you"
"Here is something lacy for Valentine's Day"
"Just do it!"

"Catch me if you can!"

"What can I do to jog your interest?"

Digi Palm

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Somebody told me to publish both a jpg and a png so here they are ... (they both look the same to me! Something about transparency ...)

Hope you are thinking of warm - and a palm tree just says warm breezes to me. 

These images are yours to take if you wish. I got a new sketch book and have been playing.

Breathe ...and Balance

My yoga instructor says you can't have balance if you don't breathe. I don't stop to think about breathing much, but I do hold my breathe when I concentrate.  I am trying to learn to relax and just breathe, nothing else.  I really like how my silhouette came out - I drew her with a gel pen and then colored with a copic .3 fine point. I kind of like the little scratchies of white through the leotard. Looks kind of like a woodcut to me.

Not sure what I will do with this drawing, but it was very relaxing to do.

Brown and Pink Color Challenge

This card needed to be all copics, in brown and pink. I colored the image with RV 23 and E 35 then used a blender pen to remove color for the spots on his back.

The splash dot of the flower print is by tapping both markers on white cardstock repeatedly.

The wood grain is mostly E35 with a few stripes of RV 23 and some very fine stripes of E 37.  Nails on the plank were made with E47.   Edges were rubbed with a stamping spot in dark brown after cuttlebugging the embossing patterns.

The sketch is roughly based on a sketch by scrapmommy at this website ...    I love her work and think I will learn a lot from seeing her stuff.

And I tried the faux pressed flower technique again - I am really liking the way it looks to emboss a card with the flowers already attached and have them become part of the background.

Image was a freebie from twisty noodle.

Teapot Tuesday

What a cute little set is this! Unfortunately I think my cherry stamps are in Michigan --- along with a whole lot of snow so I am quite thankful to be in Florida, even without my cherry stamps.

Hope this "strawberry" will be ok for the challenge at splitcoast.

I did learn one thing --- cardstock in Florida really tears with a wide bumpy edge, almost comes into layers like pie crust. Of course it also kind of bends in the paper cutter. HUMID much !!!

Inspiration Challenge - Take me away in a Hot Air Balloon

Splitcoast features a different inspiration challenge every Saturday. Today's included this darling toy chest and it reminded me of summer when the hot air balloons go flying over our house in Midland  ...  and I wake up to the whoosh of their fans.

I took the pictures from our driveway and had them stored away on my computer.

Drawings are jpegs and yours for the taking if you wish.

The Year of the Rabbit ... and the Copy Cat

My friend challenged me to use her geisha drawing to make a card for Chinese New Year's.  I found an origami kimono on UTUbe and made the pink kimono. My copics saved me since some of my folds left the white back of the paper showing so I colored them in. ( I also left a stack of kimonos with BIGGER white folds showing on my table. I really should learn to clean up after myself!)

I think the drawing is incredible --- and really puts me in the mood for Chinese food for dinner.  I wanted the rabbit to be just peeking from behind her kimono.  Unfortunately my round punches are at the bottom of a plastic tub till the carpet gets installed ( and today we found out it is delayed a week ... ugh ) so I had to cut out her hair by hand. I think it ended up looking just a bit more like mouse ears than a geisha hairdo.

The word " blessings" is a punch my sister sent from HongKong, with translation and specific directions as to which end was up.

Twisty Noodle!

Just found this site which has lots of free coloring pages. The best part of all is that you can customize them to make them personal. So you can expect some copic colored cards coming soon. FINALLY found something I can use for all my nephews who love football!

http://twistynoodle.com/coloring/

Brrrrr Birds

I had fun coloring these bugaboo birds with my copics. I need to make some cards for my friends who are shivering up north!

The image on the card was cut, then clear embossed 3 times.  

Hambo Application

I applied to be a designer for Hambo stamps --- and these are the two cards I created for the application.

Didn't get chosen, but it was still fun.

Bugaboo Freebie

I got this image free at the bugaboo site --- she is a smart lady, I also bought quite a few images while I was there. I realize my style is starting to be colored copic digi images with print paper or color layers behind, but Mike watches a lot of TV at night and I like to sit and color.

I actually twisted the ribbon intentionally, but looking at the card now I wonder if it should have been flat.

The basic cardstock is white although it doesn't really show in the scan.

Virtual Stamp Night

If you missed the virtual stamp night challenges over at Splitcoast t, here are the links. Can't get to the copier to upload my cards at the moment but thought you might enjoy playing along.

CHALLENGE 1: FEB11VSNMINI1 ~ Fri., Jan. 21st ~ 6:00 pm EST ~ PUNCH YOUR HEART OUT

Ch. 2 what shape is your heart

Ch 4 Paper piece

CHALLENGE 2: FEB11VSNMINI2 - What SHAPE is your Heart?  MINE is in much better shape because I have been hitting the treadmill and watching my diet. So far so good, and the cholesterol is down. phew. 

CHALLENGE 3: FEB11VSNMINI3 ~ Fri., Jan. 21st ~ 8:00 pm EST ~ LIGHT UP YOUR LIFE

CHALLENGE 4: FEB11VSNMINI4 ~ Fri. Jan 21st ~ 9:00 p.m. EST ~ Paper-Piece Your Heart Out  This gives my digi image addiction a new look --- and it is FUN!

CHALLENGE 5: FEB11VSNMINI5 ~ Fri., Jan. 21st ~ 10:00 pm EST ~ Two Hearts Beat As One

CHALLENGE 6: FEB11VSNMINI6 ~ Friday, January 21 ~ 11PM EST ~ Slimming Down

sketch challenge Wednesday

Not sure if this is really a groundhog!

Now this is a sketch that warms my paper loving soul.I had to go looking for paper by rustling around since my stamp supplies are packed into tubs --- so far the carpet is pulled up and the closet is painted. Today I hope to paint the walls. This weekend we will order new carpet - and I am well on the way to a new guest room / stamp room. Need to make the decision today over the paint I bought and tried out in the closet, or trying a new warmer more yellowish beige. Decisions decisions. At least we chose the carpet yesterday.

Fun part will be putting everything back onto the shelves. I have such great intentions to be organized!

Teapot Tuesday

This dog just reminded me of those oriental cats -- so I drew one and colored it to look like my cat Snickers.

  Then I decided I liked the pose from the photo instead and tried to draw that.

    Still need to make a card but I think this cat would look great holding the Tim Holtz sign post.

Drawings are jpegs and yours to take if you want to use them.

Splitcoast Technique challenge

Splitcoast hosts a technique challenge on Mondays and Joan Ervin suggested using silhouette stamps. Since I just got a package from 7kids with this great silhouette pine tree stamp, I had to join the challenge.  But the bottom really reminded me of waves, so I pulled out a palm tree for the next card.

  The background is direct to paper --- in other words, rubbing my stamp pad edge back and forth across the paper.  The evergreen is a card for a dear friend; the palm tree is a sympathy card.

New York City Cat

My son, David, gave me a set of 3 stamps for Christmas. He actually met the artist on the streets of New York!

The stamps are perfect for creating scenes, or for the backs of cards or address labels. Here is the kitty, you will see the other two later this week.  I had limited supplies because we are pulling up the carpet in the guest room -- which is my stamp room, and everything is in buckets and tubs.

But I had to get a thank you card made and mailed.

Teapot Tuesday

How's this teapot for inspiration?

 I did a birthday card with a bouquet of bookmarks, each one has a different birthday wish..

Pop on over to Splitcoast to see the whole challenge.

Love Ewe

I really had fun with the Designed 2 Delight image --- pulled out my copics and tried several different colors.  If you click on the image, it will get big enough for you to see their tiny pearly eyes.

New Year's To Do list

Today is Steve's birthday ... it is tradition that when my kids turn 30, they receive 30 birthday cards.  I started it with David and then with Amanda I added a theme --- cupcakes, and sent a lot of them unsigned so she could use them again. Even gave her a box of envelopes. Then for MY birthday she sent me a card I had made ... hmmm.

Anyway, gotta start thinking Steve ... a year to make 30 cards sounds like a lot of time but it would help to come up with an idea or two.

I got so many goodies for Christmas to play with - David got me some truly unique stamps in New York where he actually met the artist who was drawing them.

Amy gave me a wonderful flowery- spring-will-come collection and I am thinking I could make a card to cheer her up as the snow and cold just keep on coming in Michigan.

Mike ventured into the stamp store and picked up some fun toys for me.

I even got a free stamp and card from Clear Stamps - a little thing for them to do but really made me feel special.

Spent a long time yesterday playing with my copics and a new design from Designed to Delight --- will need to make some of these into cards too.

So here I am on the computer when I could be making cards with all my new supplies!

Heading South

We will be driving down to Florida and having Christmas with 2 of our 3 kids .... I look forward to sharing my art with you -- watch for me to post on or around Jan 10.

Hugs on a ring

I was part of a group that collected 3 x 3's and sent them as a ring of recovery to a fellow stamper who needed some hugs ... here is a photo of the ring. Each card was decorated on the front, but flat, with a personal message on the back. Isn't this a great idea? Not my idea, mind you, but a great idea nonetheless.