I Love you...

.......I love you, I love you!

I created this card using Penny Black stamps.  The frog, "viva diva", is not what I think of when thinking of Penny Black stamps but he has grown on me!  He's got great detail and character!
He's stamped with Versafine Black Onyx and clear embossed on natural card stock. I used Memento inks to watercolor him.  To use the inks as my color palette, I tapped the inks on a piece of acrylic packaging (I save some of the packaging from Spellbinders dies).  I used my watercolor brush to paint with the inks.  The colors I used are: Summer Sky, Dandelion, Bamboo Leaves, New Sprout, Lady Bug Tuxedo Black. 
I generally don't use water color paper for this technique.  I use a good card stock.  It will curl as it dries and may break down if it gets too wet. For a quick application of color, it works okay.  Once my image is almost dry, I stick it under a pile of books to flatten it.  Sometimes I iron it dry which flattens it, too.
"I love you" is from the Transparent set "piece of my heart".  If you look closely, you can see it's stamped repeatedly on the blue strip, too.  I colored the 3 little silver brads with a red Sharpie marker...I didn't have quite the right size red brads.  The ribbon is from Creative Impressions.
The crown is colored with gold and clear Spica markers.  I added Glossy Accents to each "gem" on the peaks.  I added Art Institute Crystal glitter while it was wet. 
All colored papers are from  Bazzill.

Enjoy!
-judy

Paris Expo Mini Scrapbook

.....created using one of Artistic Outpost's new stamp releases - Paris Expo.

I intended to create a masculine card when I first stamped the 3 men for the faux photo. It just flowed into a vintage mini album.
The cover is black card stock. I scored it to fold and look like an old scrap book. I tied the covers and pages together with old string.
The photo image is stamped on glossy white card stock and distressed with Antique Linen, Vintage Photo and Black Soot. I used Eclipse mask strips on the edge while I added color to it. After I removed the mask strips, I added some ink to tone down the stark white. My DH asked me who was in the photo when he saw it!
I stamped "Le Ballon" and "1899" to create a faux ticket. I added a stamped piece of mica at the top of the "photo". I wrote the date below the photo with Ranger white gel pen and rubbed it for a worn look.
I'm especially please with the "medallion" that I created. I glued a piece of gold craft foil to light chipboard. Then I cut it out and embossed it with a Spellbinders circle die. I used some metal alphabet stamps to emboss the letters and date. I added color with Copic markers dabbed with my finger before it dried and finished with black StazOn.

Here's the first 2 inside pages. All stamps are from Paris Expo.

.....pages 3 and 4.

The last page and back cover.

....a close up of the "photo"

......a better look at the medallion.

Another look at the cover....

I really had fun putting this together. I hope you enjoy it, too!

-judy

A Reminder

Just a reminder....

The Artistic Outpost coupon Spring2010 for 20% off expires today. Click on over to Artistic Outpost to get those new stamps ordered!

To get you inspired, here's another card using a bird from Birds of a Feather.


The background verse and floral vines are from Serenity. I created an alcohol background on glossy paper by dotting alcohol inks on my craft sheet and then swishing the paper through it. I think I used Willow and Aqua and perhaps a touch of Lemonade. The bird is stamped with StazOn Timber. I used a Spellbinders die to cut it out. I free hand cut the mat once it was glued to the glossy paper. I used Expresso for the verse on the card front. A few flowers and 2 strips of ribbon finish it off. Oh, and I rounded the corners of the card.

Remember the 20% off ends tonight.....

Keep creating!

A Cup of Love

Sending love in a cup......

.....a cute kitty, "brimming with love", by Penny Black with lots of love.

I watercolored this kitty using Memento inks for the color. I tapped the ink pad onto a piece of acrylic as a palette, then used a water brush to pick up the color. The dot background is PB "pointelle" inked with 2 colors of Memento inks (sorry, I don't remember the names). "I love you" is from the PB Transparent set "piece of my heart".

We saw lots of new things at CHA.... I hope to share more later.

Spring Robin

Good Morning!
I made it to Anaheim! Yeah!!! Kathy, Doreen, I are heading to CHA this morning. It starts at 10:00 a.m. I'm just waiting for the shower right now.

Here's a card I created for Artistic Outpost's release of their new stamps: Birds of a Feather and Paris Exposition.

I cut out the robin and the nest after stamping and coloring them. Both were stamped with Ranger Espresso and colored with various Distress inks. The lattice frame was cut with the Spellbinders Lattice Pendant die. The front of the cream card base is stamped repeatedly with 2 scroll/floral stamps from the same stamp set. I used those same stamps on the corners of the green mat. "Spring" is part of the stamp "spring is here" cut out with a Spellbinders label and tucked under the nest.

This card reminds me of how much I'm looking forward to Spring! In Minnesota, our whole landscape is covered in snow. It's so nice to be here in California where flowers are blooming, grass is green and the temps are much milder. It's expected to be 60+ today.

Have a great day! Think Spring!

smiles to all.......
-judy

A "Sisters" Card

I'm so busy getting ready to go to CHA.....packing, preparing to be gone from work, laundry, etc... I still have my clothes to choose.......I have a pile laid out on my bed. I'm heading there next to make final decisions and pack it all. We're leaving tomorrow when I get off work because the weather is threatening for Saturday. This winter is certainly challenging!

No time to create this week. Good thing I have another Artistic Outpost creation to share. This "Sisters" card uses images from the "Birds of a Feather" set.

The girls...aren't they precious?....are stamped with Expresso and colored with Distress inks. I added a piece of lace, silk ribbon and paper flowers antiqued a bit with Antique Linen. I wrote the word "sisters" with a dark brown marker. I also created the background pattern on the card front. That scroll and little floral design are part of the set, too.

I have a few cards set to post while I'm gone. Some Penny Black and more Artistic Outpost. I hope to post from CHA, too. Check back soon!

Have a super day......create some art!

Two New Artistic Outpost Stamp Sets!

The wait is finally over!!! Paris Exposition and Birds of a Feather are here.

Paris Exposition: Inspired by the Paris Exposition of 1889, for which the famed Eiffel Tower was built, this stamp collection features bold vintage style images including a French version of "What's up?". In French, we translated it to be "Quoi de nuef?" There are several collage elements to this collection which will provide you the flexibility to add multiple layers to your creations.

Birds of a Feather: Edwardian romanticism inspires this collection of bird images. Included is a perfect ATC background of German text. You will also love the engraving realism to the main bird images. This collection is timeless and seasonless, though we did give you a special sentiment for your springtime projects.

Both collections are available unmounted or pre-cut and mounted on EZMount cling foam. Use coupon code Spring2010 at checkout on the Artistic Outpost website to receive 20% off each of these two new collections purchased together or individually.

Note - coupon expires January 26th.

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Here are 2 cards I created using these new sets......

I used stamps from Paris Exposition as well as die cut letters for this card. I started the collage with the woman, then masked her with Eclipse tape. Next, I stamped the big balloon and masked it to stamp the small balloon. The Eiffel Tower and "1899" were added last. Since the lady didn't show up well in my collage, I stamped her again on a scrap of paper, colored her with Distress inks, cut her out and added her over the collage. I like the dimension that it added - no foam tape, just the paper thickness. "PARIS" was cut with QuicKutz dies out of black paper that I had embossed. I applied embossing ink and rubbed Perfect Pearls into the ink to get the metallic color. All the coloring was done with Distress inks.

This is my favorite of the samples I made with Birds of a Feather. The robin and nest were stamped with Adirondack Espresso, colored with Distress inks and cut out. I used the text stamp for the background, again colored with Distress inks. The card front was stamped with 2 swirly, floral stamps using Distress Broken China on cream paper. I then rubbed Antique Linen over it which muted and softened the blue images. It was really easy to do! I love how it turned out. "Spring is here" was die cut with a Spellbinders die. I added some lace....fastened a bit differently.....buttons and ribbon (distressed, of course) to pull it all together.

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Check out what wonderful things the other Design Team Members have created. Click on a name to go to their blog!

Gerrie Johnnic
Lisa Somerville
Cathy Edgar
Lynn Stevens
Robin Willis
Toni Tessler
Robyn Phelan Sharp

Remember the coupon special is on just until January 26th. Hop on over to the Artistic Outpost website to order these wonderful new stamp sets!

Are you inspired? Hope so.....

Come back soon!

-judy

Snow...

.....one of the joys of living in Minnesota. Even worse living in the country.

We've been blessed with lots of snow this winter. Many rural roads have been drifted shut lots of days with very strong winds to blow all the snow.

Last Tuesday, my husband & I weren't able to get home after winds blew drifting snow all day. Our road was completely plugged. We stayed with my parents who live a mile from us as the crow flies or 3 miles on the road.

On Wednesday, when we were able to get home after work, our road was like a tunnel in places.

This snowplow was working on an intersection about a mile west of our place. When I came through this intersection (from the right on the photo)it was so narrow I didn't try to make the turn. Instead I went straight through a short ways and turned around. It was easier to make the turn from that direction. This plow widened it out after I got home.

My view of the road once I made the turn. Our place is ahead on the left of the road.

.....a little further into the tunnel. Plenty of snow on the road yet.

I walked back to the tunnel to take all these photos after I got home. I didn't dare stop when I was driving! I set my self timer to get this photo. I'm 5' 2". The banks were well over me.

At this point I wasn't sure if I would run into that snow bank ahead.....as I got closer I could see the opening curved to the left.

......through the tunnel and nearing home.

......very close to home.

I was so glad to get there. Looking beyond our place the road looks clear.....it's not. About 1/2 mile ahead the snow is 3-4' deep between the snow banks. The township has decided not to open that portion of the road. Frustrating to me as I drive that way to get to work.......my detour is an extra 4 miles. I remind myself to be thankful that we can get out and get back home!

My snowman had a new shape after the snow blew so hard. Quite a "hair do", huh?

Since I took all the snow photos, a bulldozer widened the "tunnel". All the snow banks have been pushed out into the surrounding fields. We had strong winds on Saturday but the drifts didn't build up on the road.......thank goodness.

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All the snow inspired me to create this card.

The covered bridge stamp is from Artistic Outpost's Old Grist Mill . I water colored it with pale shades of gray and brown and a touch of blue in the sky. I added white Flower Soft for snow and sprayed it with White Marshmallow Glimmer Mist. I couldn't quite capture that in the photo. There are snowflakes (from AO Snowy Woods) on the card front embossed with Polysparkle EP (not very visible either). The verse is just a portion of a stamp from AO Home. The "snow" shows up a bit more in the close up below....

Thanks for visiting!

Love...

...is the message.

I created this card for Penny Black's Valentine's release. The stamp is "love is the message". The colors on the heart are Adirondack Cranberry, Red Pepper and Raisin applied directly to the stamp and then misted lightly before stamping. It's overlaid with PB "scrolling along!" stamped and embossed in gold. I used several mat layers and mounted it to a white square card base.

I'm working on samples for a new Artistic Outpost release. Watch for it on January 20th! I'm really pleased with my samples so far. I'll post them starting the 20th.

hearts to you!

-judy

A Wish

......come true......

A snowstorm too bad for travel! And I was home!

Yeah! I wanted a day off.

The good part, I had someone who could work for me so I could stay home. I didn't even try to get there...

It started with about 6-8" of snow yesterday. Very pretty snow - fluffy, sparkly and oh so white. There was hardly a breeze to move it! Amazing in SW Minnesota.

Today was a completely different story. Lots of wind to blow all that fluffy white stuff.

As you can see in my photos, visibility wasn't good. I took these photos through my window.....way too cold to go outside! I could see about .2 of a mile.

Looking out past the barn seemed to be a wall of white! The NW wind whips around the trees there.

Not much visibility on the south side of the barn either.....

So I stayed home and relaxed...pampered myself a bit.

I baked a special cake.....Raspberry Walnut Torte! Oh so good! It's one of my favorites.

The occasion???

My day to celebrate......another year, another birthday!

I spent a little time creating this afternoon.......one of my favorite things to do.

I created this for a friend but it's seems appropriate here today.

I embossed the letters in red craft foil that was already embossed with Impressabilities patterns. I rubbed the color off the letters and added a hint of color with Archival Coffee ink. I simply cut the balloons out of scraps of foil, shaped them and added color with Adirondack markers (alcohol based). They're popped up with layers of foam. I created a little shadow box out of Imaginisce scrapbook paper. The metallic accent on the edges is silver EP.

........just plain fun!

I'm hoping it gets me inspired to complete some of the projects that are due next week........

I'll need to focus this weekend!

Thanks for visiting! I hope you're somewhere warm and cozy!

smiles to you.......

Happy 2010!

Wishing you all a great 2010!
I missed wishing you that on New Year's Day.

I spent that day celebrating Christmas at my daughter's home. It didn't seem like New Year's Day! Somehow I seemed to have lost that celebration.....


Here it is the 6th of January already. This new year is right on course to fly by!

We're in the middle of another snow storm! We had about 5" of fluffy white stuff by 5:00 p.m. when I got home. It's still snowing........the worst part is yet to come so the weather man says. The winds are predicted to whip the snow around in blizzard conditions sometime tonight and tomorrow. Travel may be difficult tomorrow! Maybe I'll have to stay home from work........I can always hope.

I've been working on samples for Artistic Outpost's newest stamp releases scheduled for January 20th. I can't share yet but here's a sneak peak from their blog........





Paris Exposition: Inspired by the Paris Exposition of 1889, and the unveiling of the Eiffel Tower, this collection features 12 images including French phrases and lovely collage elements, such as hot air balloons.
Birds of a Feather: Nothing says romantic and springtime, like the Edwardian inspired images in this collection. A special background stamp is included that is perfectly sized for ATCs.







Hope you're warm and cozy this winter night!
-judy