Some Studio Time

Besides cooking up a batch of Tuscan Soup that's on the stove right now, I've been playing in my studio. Remember the "Reinker Splash" backgrounds I did several days ago, well I finally got over my fear of cutting them up and here are some of the pieces I've made so far. The stamped words are by Hero Arts You Make me Smile collection. I colored the flower with ink to "match" the carstock. I'll upload more of this type of art later.

In the meantime I saw a couple of calendar pages that I loved the flowers on, so I just "Had" to make them into cards. This is where you take you little magic bag to go over the calendar page so no static happens when you emboss the image. I then stamped the http://www.ibrakeforstamps.com/ image (sorry I don't have the name for this one) with Versa Mark ink, embossed it in gold and cut the image out. Simple technique but I love how it looks with a detailed stamp. You'd never know that the background was a huge flower. Now, I'm back to creating again, so I'll post more with more techniques. Enjoy and please leave a comment. Thanks.

Chef's Hat Days

I haven't been doing much in my studio today as I've been creating in my kitchen. I think the correct terminology is a bad 7 letter word for me - "cooking". I'm not much for cooking, baking, housework etc, but they are necessary evils, and with all of the groceries I just purchased I thought I had better get some meals prepared and frozen for future use (when stamping is all I want to do). So far I have made 8 servings of Leek/Sweet Potato Soup, 6 Servings of Beef Macaroni dinner (something like Hamburger helper), and 12 servings of Sausage Lasagna - yum yum. My poor husband has been really getting dish pan hands, and my freezer is groaning having to freeze all that prepared food. I've still got a couple more days of cooking, then I will have enough meals prepared for an entire month - YIPPEE!!! Oh, I've also made 20 jelly jars of Strawberry jam - double yum yum!!!! The jam I put in a closet for safe keeping until this winter. I make my own jams and jellies and give them as Christmas presents, along with other handmade items. Well, back to the grind stone called a "kitchen". Enjoy and if you would like any of my recipes, just give me a shout at huffpede@yahoo.com

Shopping - Glad That's Overwith

Today was a sort of blah weather day which was perfect to go grocery shopping. I wouldn't mention this fact other than I shop for one months worth of food at a time, so you can only imagine that 4 1/2 hours later I got out of the grocery store. Also, you'll have to believe me when I say I'm still not done - I have to go to the meat market yet. Needless to say I am bushed, I've got my feet up and you're right "...no playday today..." There's always the weekend and yes I plan on using some of my backgrounds that I've made so far for some more cards. I'm trying to stock pile a few dozen or so, so I can send out RAK's - shhhhh, don't tell anyone. Well, back to my recliner and the news. Have a creative weekend, enjoy my blog and please leave a comment or two.

No More Blahs

Whilst it was pouring outside I poured over a new technique that I learned through Technique Junkies (you just have to sign-up for this). The title of the technique is "reinker splash tutorial". Talk about messy, WHEW was it ever...LOL and yes I got ink all over me. Duh on me - forgot to use my rubber gloves, you know the ones that I keep hanging on my light bar in plain sight so I don't forget to wear them. Chalk it up to "senior moments". In the photo you'll see that one has more "darker" spots on it than the other - well those darker spots were the "copper" ink I put down but it didn't thin out - just sat there. Oh, well, it gives this project a bit of a "fruity" look to it. I used Banktok ink refills in the yellow, red, and brown colors along with that nasty copper metallic ink. All you do is take a Report cover, some glossy card stock, 2 or more reinkers (dye or pigment), a metallic reinker, clear embossing powder and a brayer (acrylic or rubber). Take the report cover, open it up, spread your ink on the page protector, cover this and roll with brayer to mix inks (but not too much). Then you place the glossy sheets back to back of each other and place in between the page report covers over the inked areas, close the cover, and brayer over this. Then you remove these glossy pieces and set aside, so you can do this again with more glossy card stock to use up the ink. Oh, remember that embossing powder - well this is where you add it to the inked glossy pages, remove the excess, and emboss with your heat tool. (note: This is especially true if you use pigment ink as it will not dry.) Then you can use these gorgeous backgrounds for that or you can stamp on it. I do hope you'll try it, as it was a "messy inky fun" to do, especially on this rainy day. Comments are always welcome.

Blahs!!!

Well today it is another very wet day for us so I'm just gonna play in my studio and tell this rainy world to get lost. Once I have my fun and the weather is cooperating, I'll post what I've done. Enjoy.

Sons Birthday Card

Today is a beautiful sunny day. I will be going for a walk after I post this but in the meantime.... I happen to be going through my e-mails and looking at others blogs and made a connection with a "faux silk" type of card. All she mentioned was stamping an image on a neutral color card stock, then color/dry it, then crinkle up some tissue paper and lay it aside while she spread glue all over her card stock and then applied the crinkled up tissue paper. Her card was very good looking, so I thought I would try my hand at it. To the right is my attempt at this. Note: I tried to spread some ink just on the edges, but ooops, some of it got on the tissue paper, sooooooooooo, I ended up spreading (very lightly) some of the ink all over the card. I then applied some of the same ink to a gross grain ribbon and then put it through a buckle and attached this to the card. I will probably send this card to my son for his birthday. I think it needs something more so please enjoy and leave a comment. TIA.

Stormy Weather

This morning was a very "stormy" morning outside. It rained like cats and dogs - well it had huge rain drops that came down in sheets. In the meantime I decided to upload the photos of what I did last night before going to bed. The Brilliance Rainbow Technique is from the April 2008 Technique Junkies newsletter. If you haven't joined this newsletter you should as it is packed full of fun techniques to do. You can go to http://www.patstamps.com/ and tell Pat I sent you - we'll both benefit from it. After "trying" to be patient for the drying time, I had loads of fun in using HIT (Hearts in Touch) stamps to make a friend her birthday card. With another of the pieces I ran it through the Cuttlebug to see what it would look like. I like both ways. Now to go and have some more playing time. Enjoy.

Another Sunny Fun Day

Another day of playing on such a beautiful day. I got out my Cuttlebug Folders and make the card to the right. After the embossing, I attached the card front to a white cardstock card. I decided it needed some "color" so I got out my chalks and colored away. To hold the chalk on the card I sprayed it with the Krylon Fixative. Not sure if I want to "add" anything to the front as it may get too busy looking then. I will just add a personal note on the inside - something that has a "Spring" feeling to it.

I've also been watching some U-Tube videos for some inspiration and spent most of my creating time watching how different people make "pop-up (out)". They were a lot of fun to view, but in essence they are just a simple form (or not so simple) of the "explosion" card.

Well, time for preparing our dinner, and then some more creative fun. Enjoy and please leave a comment.

Some Fun With Acrylic Paint

Today is sunny outside so I suppose I'll be spending some time in my flower gardens. I did manage to make a card for my cousin. I used some light blue, cream, and light green acrylic paints dabbed onto matte cardstock and squished between another matte carstock. I rather like this look and will have to try it on glossy cardstock and with different colors. The stamps are from I Brake for Stamps (http://www.ibrakeforstamps.com/ ) and were a lot of fun using. Della Warr is the owner, a gem of a person whom I've come to love as a person, and her stamps are deeply etched and so easy and fun to use. Well, I'm off to get dressed and go do some gardening. Please leave a comment and you have a wonderful creative week.

Creative Day 2

Yesterday was my first "blogging" day and I'm excited over this area. As I mentioned before, the card that was made yesterday was made by using a brayer and a multi-colored ink pad. I brayered the matte cardstock with my chosen colors and after the ink dried I then stamped the images from I Brake For Stamps ( http://www.ibrakeforstamps.com/) and embossed them with clear embossing powder from Ranger Products. I thought this was a great way to cheer up someone that has had surgery - "Dance" - inside it says "...I'm hoping that you'll be up and dancing soon..."

With the same method only using glossy cardstock I made several more cards similar in style. This time though I saved my bits and pieces and made a mosaic card. I laid out my little bits in the manner I most enjoyed and then I glued them in place on a piece of left over white matte cardstock. I left a tiny bit of space between the rectangles whilst gluing them on the cardstock so I could add some Turquoise Stickles as a framing idea. Once the Stickles was dry I then mounted all of this to a turquoise leftover cardstock and mounted it onto my card with the stamped words from Hero Arts of "Wishing You a Very Happy Day". I rather like how this one turned out so from now on I keep my "bits and pieces"...LOL I do hope you will leave a comment, and will have a creative weekend.

Today is My Beginning

Today is the first of my blogging experiences. It has been a happy day since I've gotten to play in my studio all day long. The sun has been streaming onto my desk as I attempt to color my world. I've added the photo to the right to give you a glimpse of what I've done today. I shall post more tomorrow when I am not so tired. Don't forget to leave me a note.