Festive Four Valentine

I made this in January, I think, when I made a bunch of Valentines. This one never got sent out. I didn't have a new project to post, so I thought I'd whip this one out! This is one of those old SU! sets that I just won't part with. I just love the whimsical quality of the drawings. It's called Festive Four. This card is pretty straightforward. The only thing unusual is the large Prima. I sprayed it with my homemade glimmer mist. To make it, mix four ounces of Future Floor Polish or hairspray with one jar of Radiant Pearls. In this case Candy Apple Red. I love RP's, and bought a lot of them when they first came out. Then there were some newer paints that came out which had the beautiful qualities of the RP's without the prohibitive drying time. Making the mist is one way I feel like I can still get my money's worth from my RP's. I've done the same thing with Pearl Ex, which of course is still available for purchase.

Creative Cuts and More~Cupcake Box

Honestly, I think I love Creative Cuts and More as much for the beautiful papers they offer as for all the cool dies! This Cupcake Box is cut out of Caramel Curious Metallic paper. If I was going to do a wedding or a bridal shower, these would be the colors! I started the box by stamping A Chemistry With Paper's branch stamp from Stylized Flowers in Brilliance Chocolate. I embossed it in Ranger's Hologram. I worked one side at a time, before I put the box together. Next, I glued on the Primas with SU!'s Crystal Effects-my favorite all-purpose glue. Then I put a dab of Crystal Stickles in the center of each flower and left it to dry for a few hours. I have learned to be very patient with Stickles, sometimes I think loose glitter is actually easier when you consider how long Stickles takes to dry! When I came back, I folded the box and fixed with CC&M's Killer Red Tape, and made the lid. Then I spent an embarrassing amount of time fiddling with the ribbon and making the bow out of Flourishes' fabulous brown satin ribbon, which I also attached with the redline tape.

Creative Play Stamps~Fancy Ovals

Creative Play Stamps has three new oval sets, one simple, one fancy, and one companion. This is the fancy one! They are all interchangeable, so the combinations are endless! This card has little touches of copper Stickles, which makes me happy! Also, the brad holding the Primas together is copper. If I had really had my act together, I would have used copper staples, but no one has ever accused me of having my act together! Notice that the left staple is botched. Does that drive you crazy? You can come over and fix it if you want to, because I'm not going to, it doesn't bother me at all. There are some things I can't tolerate on a card, like crooked layers, cuts, or catching the edge of a stamp. I also don't like any kind of adhesive to show, or the legs of brads on the inside of cards. But I get to a point when I think it's more than alright that you know that a human being made this card. A fallible woman. A wife, mother, sister and friend. Sometimes in life the staples just aren't perfect, are they?

Artistic Outpost ~Singing Cowboy

One of the things I like about Artistic Outpost's stamps is that they are so versatile. At first, they just look like really impressive ready to go collage style stamps, and that they are. However, when you sit down to play with them, you realize how chameleon-like they can be when you add to or take away from the images. For this card, I cut out about a quarter of the image. This put my cowboy smack onto Basic Gray's Infuse paper, where he can really take center stage. I also embossed over my Tim Holtz Aged Mahogany Distress Ink. It stays very wet in spots, so it's easy to get this sort of random look that would be impossible to achieve with my beloved VersaMark pad. I used a chunky gold EP, which also contributed to the random coverage. The chunks are big enough so that they will only stay on the really wet spots.

Stuff~
Stamps: Artistic Outpost Singing Cowboy Paper: Chocolate Chip, Basic Gray Infuse, vintage file folder, Prima flowers & leaf, ribbon from Flourishes, SU! eyelets & punches, GM in Chestnut Brown

Oh, so pretty~Stylized Flowers by ACWP

I knew the second I saw this set by A Chemistry With Paper that it would be a joy to work with, and it is! I love to emboss, and this set just really shines when embossed. Also, even though the flowers have nice details, they are easy to cut out. That's good, because I'm not a very good cutter! It would also be easy to mask. You could essentially do the same thing I did here all on one layer just by masking the flowers. this is the same set I used on the pink purse card I posted a couple of days ago.

A Chemistry With Paper, Stylized Flowers set. Bazzill, Naturals, and Basic Gray Urban Couture & Perhaps. SU! Antique Gold Glaze EP, gems, SU! gold ribbon & punch, Flourishes brown satin ribbon

Jitterbug Cowgirl~Bombshell Stamps (obviously)

Do you know what DH says when I get out my Bombshell Stamps? "Oh, I see you are working with your retrosexual stamps again." Get it? RETROsexual? He thinks I married him because of his handsome good looks, but it's really his quick mind and incredible sense of humor that gets me every time!

This little pinup is from the Retro Cowgirl set. If you'll notice, I put down the Basic Gray, of course that was only to pick up COSMO CRICKET!! I thought CC's Jitterbug line would be very cute with her. The scallop came with the paper pack, I wish I had a punch or scissors that would do a scallop like this, because it's so cool! I stamped her in Brilliance Chocolate and embossed her in Iridescent Ice EP for a little extra sparkle. I colored her with various markers. I gave the whole card one shot of Chestnut Brown GM, then masked off most of the cowgirl and sprayed once more. There is a very subtle frame around her-love it! I will do that again! I figured it out because I was too lazy to stamp and cut a mask of the cowgirl, AND I was too lazy to cut a mask for the whole cowgirl layer. I grabbed a scrap and laid it over her, and voila-frame! Isn't it great when a natural character defect works to your benefit?

Creative Cuts and More Pink Purse

Here's another cute die cut from Creative Cuts and More. You can see how this looks open in the previous post. The holes I put the ribbon through are part of the die cut, how easy is that, I ask you? This looks fairly labor intensive, but because I started with a die cut, it was not! Remember, you can have this purse cut out of any of dozens and dozens of papers! I started by using A Chemistry With Paper's set, Stlylized Flowers. I stamped one of the solid little flowers in Pixie Pink Craft Ink randomly all over the outside of the purse. I poured on the Iridescent Ice embossing powder and heated. Then I did the piercing and faux stitching. One thing I would do differently next time is start with the piercing and faux stitching, as my Signo white gel pen was quite balky when it came in contact with the embossing powder and stray bits of glitter. It almost met its demise, as I won't tolerate recalcitrant tools in my stamp room. Either perform satisfactorily, or get out, that's my philosophy. I decided to give it one more chance, since there were extenuating glitter circumstances. Apparently, not everybody loves glitter and EP as much as I do! Then I chose and layered my flowers. I got them placed perfectly by setting the large Heidi Swap flower where I wanted it, and making a mark through the hole. I used a piece of velcro to hold the purse closed, which was not a good idea, because I ripped it when I opened it to take the picture. Creative Cuts and More sells these little magnets by Basic Gray designed specifically for this purpose, I guess I'll be buying some of those, now won't I? If you order any purse die cuts, don't forget to add a package of the slick little magnets to your cart!

Creative Cuts and More Pink Purse~Open

You can see the beautiful flower stamps I used really well in this shot. This set is from A Chemistry With Paper, it's call Stylized Flowers. The sentiment is part of the set as well.

Balanced Rock~Creative Play Stamps

This beautiful image is another one of the new releases from CreativePlayStamps. I paired it with Basic Gray Urban Couture, some SU! eyelets and FIVE punches! I love layering these punches from SU! I stamped Balanced Rock in Brilliance Chocolate, distressed the edges with Chestnut Roan Fluid Chalk Ink and sprayed with Chestnut Brown Glimmer Mist. CPS carries A LOT of Color Box products, and they will be adding the Tattered Angels Glimmer Mists soon, they may already be up. I think they are having a nice anniversary sale this month, so now is the time to stock up on some great new stamps and lots of fun accessories. I have bought refills for my old pads, some new colors, Art Institute Glitter and who knows what all I've forgotten.

STUFF~
Creative Play Stamps Balanced Rock, Brilliance Chocolate & Chestnut Inks, punches, velvet ribbon from Flourishes, SU! eyelets, sponge, BG, Bazzill , Chocolate Chip, Confetti & Kraft cardstock, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Chestnut Brown

Artistic Outpost~Happiness

This fabulous butterfly is from one of ArtisticOutpost 's two newest sheets, Happiness. I fell in love with these sets as soon as I saw them. This butterfly image is incredibly detailed! Use a firm pad when you stamp with it, unless you want a less filigreed look. I need to get more of these trendy felt flowers, I think this is the last of mine, and I really like the texture they add to a project. I only had a few, they came in a stamping kit from Self-Addressed this summer. The brown flowers are punches I punched out of scraps while visiting my sis in Denver. She has more punches than anyone, so I always use them when I see her! The flowers were not in the right color, so I smooshed them into my Chestnut Roan chalk pad. Don't be afraid to make what you have work. I can get caught up in trend lust, and I have to remind myself that I don't have to own everything ever invented for paper crafting. Most of us go back to what we love anyway, no matter how much stuff we have. I think today is a good day to get perspectives in order, don't you? If you know anything about the Resurrection, spend a minute thinking about the perspectives of the various people involved. He is risen!

A Chemistry With Paper~Bunny and Friends

This is my first project for A Chemistry With Paper! This set is called Bunny and Friends, and aside from being adorable, it comes with the stamp for this cool box! I just stamped it on the back of this DP by NRN Designs, so it looks cute inside and out. In addition to the bunny face, there is a duck face and a lamb face. You could use this set for Easter, obviously, but also for baby showers or a zoo or farm themed birthday party. I used a glue pad to stamp the bunny, then poured on the Art Institute Glitter in Azure. I used my Sakura Glaze pen to color the ears, nose and cheeks, then used AI glitter in Fluer de Lis. The flower is part of the set, and I stamped it in Almost Amethyst, colored with 
Radiant Pearls, and attatched it with a Making Memories crystal brad.
Stuff~A Chemistry With Paper, Bunny and Friends, NRN paper, Whisper White, little lamb embellishment, word window punch, gems

Bombshell Stamps' Lil' Angel

Please take note that there is not a bit of Basic Gray or a hint of brown in this or the previous post! Sometimes even I give it a rest! This darling little cherub is from Bombshell Stamps' set Bombshell Angel. If you want to check them out, please click on the link in my sidebar. I am trying to learn how to hyper link, but sometimes it works, as it did yesterday, and sometimes it doesn't, like today. It makes the text of my post go all wonky and all over the place. It's infuriating, actually, and instead of happily telling you about this card, I am gritting my teeth and trying not to run screaming & crying from the room! DEEP BREATH.......................................................................
Alrighty then, where were we?
Bombshell Stamps, Bombshell Angel; Almost Amethyst, Blush Blossom and wc paper; corsage pen, SU! beads, Vintage blanket satin, wc pencils, Radiant Pearl in Caspian Sea, nesties, Versamark, Iridescent Ice ep, micro beadz, vintage lace, cuttlebug and folder, Stickles, redline tape

That's all I can do today...(stomps off in a rage.)

Creative Cuts and More Bag/Box

I have to tell you that DH and 14yods had great fun at my expense over this tiny bag. They spent an inordinate amount of time rumaging around the house to see what kinds of things would actually fit in a box this small. I told DH in no uncertain terms that all kinds of good things come in small packages, not the least of which are diamonds. I feel pretty certain that more diamonds are in my future. (Not.) Personally, I think a bag this cute has merits of its very own. When party/shower/wedding guests take a little bag like this home, they are not taking it because they just can't get enough of those chalky little mints they're always foisting off on us at girl events.
 You can get this bag and dozens more at CreativeCutsandMore.com They also have the redline tape that makes putting these together a breeze, and KEEPS them together.

Animas River by Creative Play Stamps

This is one of the new releases fromCreative Play Stamps. There are several beautiful outdoor images like this one. I was especially drawn to this one because I miss Colorado. One thing you don't see much of in the Oklahoma Panhandle is water! I also like this because it will make great guy cards! I will be short here because my Internet has not been working well for a couple of days, and I don't know how long I'll have!

Stamps: Creative Play Stamps Animas River
Paper: SU!, BG, MME
Ink: Tim Holtz Aged Mahogany

I made it-Artistic Outpost Design Team!!

Artistic Outpost picked me up for their design team! I am so excited to be working with them!! That makes five companies I design for, and that's it for me. I enjoy all these companies so much, each has such wonderful offerings, and none is like the others. I won't be able to give these companies the effort they deserve if I take on any more, and why would I? These five companies meet almost all my stamping needs. If you haven't visited them, I hope you do, because I think at least one of them will be just right for you. I try not to be pushy about the companies I design for, but honestly, I think they are top notch, or I wouldn't have applied for their teams!

This is one of the cards I sent with my application to AO. I bought this set the first time I laid eyes on it, it's called Singing Cowboy. I'm married to a singing cowboy, so it was perfect for me! DH sings and plays the guitar at cowboy church, and regular church, too. He actually sang Hank Williams' "I Saw the Light" at cowboy church about a month ago, and the chorus is one of the stamps in this set. He plays the banjo, too, and the big Earthwood image is one of the envelopes his strings come in. They are so beautiful, I've been hoarding them for years, and this is the first time I've used one. The Tim Holtz ink and matching EP in Aged Mahogany are both from AO. If you haven't tried his distress line, you owe it to yourself to give them a try.

STUFF~
Stamps~Artistic Outpost, Singing Cowboy & Serenity
Paper~Chocolate Chip, Kraft, My Mind's Eye Everyday Tango, Basic Gray Infuse
Ink~Tim Holtz Aged Mahogany, Versamark
Goodies~TH EP in Aged Mahogany, ribbon from Flourishes, ticket corner punch, Sakura stardust pen

Sometimes I do cute!

I made this in January, and just haven't posted it. I don't do a lot of "cute" but I do some. This is a very old SU! set, which if I weren't so lazy I could get up and go figure out its name! I am RUTHLESS when it comes to cleaning out my stash. I have even sold things I regretted selling, I can be so hasty. This set has escaped all purgings, I don't really know why. Maybe it's the elephant, I do have a thing for elephants. And pears. I'm sure Freud would have something to say about that...

Shameless Attempt to Influence Robyn!

I have applied as a design team member for Artistic Outpost. Since they only asked for three cards/projects, which is typical, I thought I could sneak another one in here, since they have my blog addy. Anyone who looks at my blog regularly knows I play with AO stamps a lot. Why would I say publicly I have applied and risk the embarrassment if they don't pick me? Because I won't be ashamed if I don't get it. One of the great things about being a Christian is the peace. I want to be on AO's DT because I love their stamps. However, I know who is in charge of my life. I know if I don't make the AO team, that it's the best thing for both of us. It's so simple. And freeing. Besides, even if I weren't a believer, I stamp for fun, I'm not about to get all bent out of shape over rubber stamps!

Now, let's talk stamping! I could use Basic Gray's Urban Couture forever and never get tired of it! However, this particular sheet, in 12x12, is a little prohibitive for a card, so it's the last sheet left of this pack. When I got my new AO set, called Happiness, (turns out money can buy happiness), and stamped this butterfly stamp, I wondered if I could work this BG paper in. I made the card 51/2" square, laid it over the bird, and traced. I cut it out, Direct-to-Papered my edges with Chestnut Roan Cat's eye (click on Creative Play Stamps in my sidebar for Colorbox), then decided on the ribbon. This FAB velvet ribbon came from Flourishes, and it's one of my favorite ribbons in the whole wide world. The main AO image was stamped in Brilliance Chocolate and embossed with SU! Iridescent Ice EP. This is one of my usual combos. I usually prop the card up under my whatever those fancy craft lamps are called and admire the sparkle for a while. Who knows how much time I have spent admiring glitter in the last eight years? For the little "fly," I used my cat's eye to dab at a bit of the big stamp, then I stamped that into the piece of filmstrip, which also comes with Happiness. Then I smooshed that into my VersaMark pad and embossed with IIEP. Both stamped images are up on dimensionals, I use 3M mounting tape. I glued the bling on with my Sakura Clear Glaze pen.

Stuff:
Stamps~Artistic Outpost, Happiness
Paper~Chocolate Chip, Bazzill, Basic Gray Urban Couture, vintage file folders
Ink~Brilliance Chocolate, Chestnut Roan Chalk, Versamark
Goodies~velvet ribbon, bling, IIEP, mounting tape

No laughing! I mean it!

Lots of talented stampers out there are doing what they call the CAS or Clean and Simple style of stamping. While I admire it in others, I can rarely pull it off. I'm more of a GAC girl: Glittered and Cluttered! This card is made with gifts I received from Jan Marie from Flourishes for HER birthday. Yes, you read that right. She sent me this set, Open to Love, and the note cards, just for playing with her stamps over on the Flourishes board on SCS. There are a bunch of girls who enjoy Flourishes stamps, and we hang out over there and encourage each other and just generally have a mutual admiration society. I have to give a plug to Flourishes, as they are absolutely wonderful to do business with. They are friendly, generous and prompt, plus their stamps are beautiful. But back to this card. I know it just isn't quite right, and that's a shame, because the stamps are gorgeous. I'll keep playing, hopefully my next card will be better!

Got luck? Enter Bombshell Stamp's Contest!

Well, I thought Lady Luck needed a costume change, so I called in the Aqua Stickles. I think it was just what the doctor ordered! You might not always need a gal wearing an eight ball bra, so it's cool that her outfit can easily be altered. Also, the Stickles is more opaque than the original stamp's sarong, so it has a more modest look to it. Of course we're talking modest in a relative way. Many people would not think of Lady Luck as being especially modest, but she's amenable to change! I find her very easy to get along with, and she looks good in green, not everybody does, you know. Don't forget to click on Bombshell Stamps on my sidebar and check out the contest-too fun!

Stuff:
Stamps~Bombshell Stamps, Lady Luck
Paper~SU! Confetti, Bazzill, Colorbok, My Mind's Eye
Ink~ SU! Always Artichoke, Hybrid Noir
Goodies~ Doodlebug alphabet rub-ons, punch, nesties, Limeade Glimmer Mist, wc pencils, Aqua Stickles, sponge

Crafty Secrets Altered Art

The beautiful stamps and paper on this card are by Crafty Secrets. The set, called Altered Art, would be perfect for those of you who like to do ATCs. I used three of the images from the set on this card, the face, the word ART, and the crown, there are lots of others to play with as well! Of course it was time for Almost Amethyst and Basic Black to make another appearance together! The three colors I never put away are AA, BB, and Chocolate Chip. They stay on my desk, and when they get low, I buy another package and put it right on my desk. Why bother with putting them away, when I use one of the three on almost every card. Is this a good thing? Bad thing? Am I married to my own stamping status quo? Are you married to your own stamping status quo?

Stuff:
Stamps~ Crafty Secrets: Altered Art
Paper~ AA, BB, Bashful Blue, Pretty in Pink, watercolor, CS: Classics Pad
Ink~ Basic Brown
Goodies~ SU! Mat Pack (for piercing), Art Institute Glitter: Azure, ribbon, Bazzill Eyelets, patterned scissors, pop dots

Lady Luck, Round Two

Here's Lady Luck all dressed up for St. Patrick's Day! Are you ready for the wearin' o' the green? Click on the link to Bombshell Stamps in my sidebar, there's a contest going on! I've got to keep it short today because my oldest son is playing bass in his band's public debut tonight at the school's Fun Fest! He's pretty excited because they plan to play a song he feels might be a tad inflammatory. This cracks me up, because the entire band is pretty much straight A honors students. I'm interested to see what his idea of shocking is. Check back tomorrow and I'll let you know if I've been well and duly shocked and humiliated by my progeny.

So, here's the rundown on this girlie:

Stamps: Bombshell Stamps, Lady Luck
Paper: Yes
Ink: Yes
Embellishments: Yes

Creative Cuts and More Acetate Card

This angle shows the stamp very clearly. This could be my house! I live in a farm house built in 1917. The front has a sun porch, and there are old trees in the yard. My house is two story, and I have more than one tree, but when I see this stamp I think, "This is my house. That is my tree." This stamp, from Artistic Outpost's Serenity set, is incredibly detailed, and it's pretty cool to have it floating on the acetate. By the way, it's not that easy to stamp on acetate, as it's very slippery. I need a little more practice to get it perfect. I used white Staz-On. The trim is from The Embellishment Studio.

Acetate Cards-cool but tricky!

I am posting two photos of this card because one shows the shine of the acetate, and one shows the detail of the stamp. The acetate card, and the card stock underneath is from Creative Cuts and More. The acetate is nice and heavy, and when you order the A2 size, it comes pre-scored! Anyone who has even tried to make an even fold with acetate will understand how much of a benefit that is! The card stock is Onyx Stardream, it's metallic, and it's beautiful!

My Favorite Things Sketch Swap

This is my second card for the first Official MFT Swap. We had to say which of the sketch challenges we were going to use, this is #1! It isn't exactly like the sketch, so if you want to see the CORRECT version, you'll have to go to SCS, Member Company Forums, MFT, MFTSC#1!

I bought a little bag of the flower sequins at Duckwalls, there's about a gazillion in the bag, if you want a few to play with, email me your addy, and I'll send you some. If lots of people want them, I'll see if they have more, if they don't, I'll just share what I have, then be done with it. It's not like we NEED these, right?

Stuff~
Stamps~My Favorite Things, Rain or Shine
Paper~Whisper White, Pink Passion, watercolor, Prima Poetry Collection
Ink~VersaMark, Pink Passion
Goodies~bling, brads, sequin flowers, ticket corner punch & others, SU! wide organdy ribbon, markers, Prima, K & CO glitter, SU! Heat & Stick Powder

My Favorite Things Hot Stuff Swap

This is one of the two cards I made for the mft swap on SCS. I challenged myself to use the Prima Poetry Collection paper I have had for two years. The paper I scalloped along the bottom is the ugliest designer paper I've ever seen in my life. Why do I have it? It came in my monthly scrapbooking kit from EBBCreations in June 2006. Now, I like EBBCreations just fine, I just hated this sheet of paper! This is a wild mix of paper, but I do that sometimes, it's pretty easy to do as long as you stay in a collection. I have no idea if Prima Marketing is still making DP, or if they decided it would be better for them to stick with the flower business!;) This was their premier collection.

Stuff:
Stamps: MFT Hot Stuff
Paper: Bashful Blue, Whisper White, Pink Passion, Prima Poetry Collection, wc paper
Ink: Versamark, Palette Hybrid Noir
Goodies: Various brads, ribbon, Primas, markers, ep, punches, Magenta Stickles

Creative Cuts and More Popcorn Box

This darling box is a die cut from Creative Cuts and More. It's called a Popcorn Box. I love the shape of it, and wanted to work with it, but I wanted to do something sophisticated, so I had them cut it in my favorite Amethyst Stardream cardstock. They have dozens of choices! I embossed it with SU!'s Print Pattern. I did it one section at a time, masking the others so they didn't get messed up. I added a fat dollop of Black Diamond Stickles in all the blank triangles. The stamp is a SeeD's set, I embossed it in black and colored with my markers and a wc brush as usual. The black May Arts ribbon was a gift with purchase from Flourishes. They did gifts with purchase during the whole month of February, and I got a little bag of Dew Drops and quite a nice length of this ribbon. I don't know if they have a special this month, but they are a company I enjoy doing business with.

Luck 'O the Irish

Here's Bombshell Stamp's Lady Luck! She has all the traditional symbols of luck, I think you get luckier just by owning her! I used two of the stamps from the set, the gal herself, and the, "GOOD LUCK" banner.

I've had several comments about my coloring, and I can't tell you how pleased I am that someone would think my coloring good enough to ask about-so thank you! I use lots of different mediums, but the one I used on this card is very simple! I start with watercolor paper. I stamp the image in VersaMark and emboss with SU! Detail Black EP. Then I use markers to lay a bit of color where I want it. I only use one color at a time. Then I use a wet brush to pull the color around to where I want it. It's that simple! It helps if you give the wc paper a quick once over with a wet brush before you start. It makes the blending easier. I have about five different brands of markers, and all but the Zigs work well with this technique. Sometimes I even use nine year old Crayola markers, they are still going strong! In addition to Bombshell, I used product from a couple of other companies I enjoy.

The Bazzill card base and felt flowers are from Self-Addressed. They are a monthly kit club. I'm not a subscriber now, but I have been in the past, and I really enjoyed all the shipments I received. The gorgeous printed satin ribbon and Limeade Glimmer Mist is from The Embellishment Studio. I won a contest over there and will be Guest Designer in July. They are a monthly kit club, and sometimes they have VINTAGE stuff! They also get cool things from Etsy. Additionally, they have a gallery, and those girls rock the embellishments! They are more into scrapbooking-I won with my cards.

Stuff:
Stamps~Bombshell Stamps: Lady Luck
Paper~Bazzill, MME Everyday Tango, Basic Black, WC
Ink~VM, Palette Hybrid Noir
Goodies~markers, dew drops from Flourishes (thanks again!), felt flowers, EP, ribbon, Aqua Stickles, Limeade Glimmer Mist

DH & DS's suddenly interested in stamping!

It's very curious. I've noticed that since I started using Bombshell stamps, my husband and two teenage sons have taken a sudden interest in my projects. Hmm... Why do you think that is?

Well, anyway, this sexy cowgirl is one of two cowgirl images from Bombshell Stamps' Retro Cowgirl set, isn't she cute? This was my first time to color her, so I followed the indexing sheet that comes with the stamp set. I was a little nervous about getting it right, but it was very easy to color, and next time I'll branch out on my own. Each set from Bombshell comes with a full color index sheet, which I think is a nice bonus. It shows how the artist chose to color the image, but of course you can color any way you want. I'm working on improving my coloring skills, so it's helpful for me to see how artists do it-I hope that if I stare at it long enough, I'll figure out how to do it! Notice that the way she is drawn would make it easy for you to leave the hat or rope out, either through masking or simply stamping, then cutting them off. It's very clever, I think, and it gives you more bang for your buck, because you can turn her into most anything-except ugly! Take a look at the little buckle. That's from Creative Cuts and More. I chose to have it cut out of medium weight chipboard, then asked that they cut me the same dies in bronze stardream metallic card stock. It adds a subtle sheen to this card, which shockingly enough, does not have any glitter or bling on it. I did touch the stardust pen to strategic areas, because I think there's a regulation against entirely shimmer- free cards. It's number 58693 of the Official Shimmer and Shine Legislation Part 37, Referendum 24, paragraph87.6. If I remember correctly, Barbara Trombley was one of the leading proponents of the original bill, and helped spearhead it all the way through the legislative process. Personally, I think she had some sort of agenda with that, but the Great Glitter Shakedown is neither here nor there. This is not a history blog, after all.

Stuff:
Stamps- Bombshell Stamps: Retro Cowgirl
Paper: SU!: Chocolate Chip, Designer (weathered?), More Mustard & watercolor, CC&M: chipboard & stardream bronze
Ink- Versamark, Color Box Fluid Chalk Ink: Chestnut Roan
Goodies- die cut buckle from CC&M, brads, tag die, American Crafts ribbon, various markers, popdots

Stamp desk orphans untie!

You know I spelled unite wrong intentionally, right? Just trying to be clever, you know! (Actually, if you ever see a misspelling on this blog, just assume it was intentional, and not that I'm a poor speller and an even worse typist!) I had this embossed Artistic Outpost image floating around on my stamp desk, along with some Basic Gray Utopia scraps. The card base is a note card from the $ store. I picked up a package of eight, with envelopes, for a dollar. I checked specifically that the insides were blank. So now I have this cute little card and envy. The front of these note cards isn't unattractive, so I let some show. I gave it a good working over with the Chestnut Roan, but few things come off my desk CR free! These gems are not adhesive, so I used my Sakura Clear Glaze pen. Worked like a charm. I made this card about two weeks ago, and they're still on there tight as can be!

Stuff:
Stamps-Artistic Outpost: Serenity
Paper-dollar store note card, Basic Gray: Utopia, Bazzill, Chocolate Chip
Ink-VersaMark, CR Fluid Chalk Ink
Goodies- SU! gold EP, bling, Sakura Clear Glaze, ticket corner punch, Tattered Angel Glimmer Mist in Chestnut

Close-up of Creative Cuts and More shaker kit card~

You can see how perfect all the cuts are, and I didn't have to do any of it! I got to spend my stamping time watercoloring the lovely Bombshell Angel instead of trying to cut a bunch of stuff out-how cool is that?

Stuff:
Stamps-Bombshell Stamps: Bombshell Angel
Paper: from CC&M: Onyx & Rose Quartz Stardream die cuts, Basic Gray Two Scoops, SU! wc paper
Ink: Versamark
Goodies: Shaker card kit from CC&M, dew drops from Flourishes, various markers, micro glass beads

First shaker card!

This is my very first shaker card! Of course I cheated because I ordered a shaker kit from Creative Cuts and More! Literally the only thing I cut on this card is the Basic Gray paper, the lace, and the watercolor paper with the Bombshell Angel from Bombshell Stamps on it! The shaker kit comes with die cut foam, double-sided tape, the window-everything! All the dies are in the exact right size circle, too. You can choose from dozens of papers, of course I went with metallics, because I love them so!

Three of my favorite things!

Artistic Outpost, Basic Gray & Glimmer Mist!! I made this card a couple of weeks ago, but had not uploaded it yet. I've been working on a couple of swaps, so I've just been using pics of cards from my computer for the last few days. I have such a love/hate relationship with swaps! I always get SO nervous that my work isn't going to be good enough that I just agonize over it! Then I wind up making some HORRIBLY complicated million step card times ten! I already make fussy cards, but when suffering from performance anxiety, they can become monstrous! I'll post them here in the next few days, and you can make fun of me at your leisure. Why can't I do something like the simple black and purple Creative Play Stamps card I did a few weeks ago? (It's around here somewhere.) I guess I'm afraid people will think I didn't put enough effort into it if I do a simple card. Well enough about that! Isn't card angst a trifle silly? "Oh, I'm just in agony over this greeting card!" Is that not the most ridiculous thing you've ever heard? Let's talk about this AO card, or more importantly, let me tell you that they are having a pre-release sale on their two new sheets! You had better get over there and see how gorgeous they are and get in line! Of course you'll notice that I helpfully posted this AFTER I paid for mine! Hey, this is rubber we're talking about, I don't want to be at the end of the line!! They will be sending them in the next week or so. Oh, and about this card. I stamped the images in chalk ink, which isn't the best ink for this detailed an image. The Tim Holtz distress inks work beautifully with these stamps. You can get them from Creative Play Stamps, the link is in my sidebar. They sell matching Distressed embossing powder, too!

Stuff:
Stamps-Artistic Outpost: Serenity
Paper-Georgia Pacific, Bazzill, Very Vanilla,Chocolate Chip Basic Gray: Utopia,
Ink-Colorbox Fluid Chalk Chestnut Roan
Goodies-Glimmer Mist: Chestnut, brads, Primas, punches, ribbon

My Favorite Things Rain or SHine

This stamp is from my favorite thing's Rain or Shine set, the sketch is Card Positioning Systems#2. This sketch was hard for me, and I'm not entirely pleased with the results. I like to work with sketches now and then because I feel like it forces me out of my comfort zone. Sometimes they come out better than average-sometimes not! I've been experimenting with various ways to watercolor. I've finally discovered that the single most important factor in watercoloring is that you use watercolor paper! (This isn't, BTW.) I colored this in with WC pencils, which I know are old fashioned and amateurish, but I still like them! I think I'm getting the best results these days with markers on wc paper. It looks the most like wc. My trick when wcing is to put a little Radiant Pearls in my water, it gives the whole card a subtle shimmer that I love. I think every thing's better with shimmer! Sparkle on!

Stuff:
Stamps: My Favorite Things, Rain or Shine
Paper: Basic Black, Barely Banana, Whisper White, My Mind's Eye
Ink: Versamark, Pretty in Pink
Goodies: Making Memories Gem Brad, Bazzill & Prima flowers, watercolor pencils, black & Iridescent Ice embossing powder, M's $ spot gems, SU! ticket corner punch & sponge