More Just for Fun samples

Here are more samples using Just for Fun stamps. I used many different techniques too: marker watercolor; alcohol inks; heat embossing; clear embossing resist; wrinkle-free distress ink; watermark inking; sponging and stippling; and glimmer mists.

Just for Fun Stamp Samples

I think I previously mentioned that I had been asked by Debbie of Just for Fun Stamps to design some samples. This is a small family-owned company in Florida which has been around for several years. I love their stamps - they have quite a variety of styles but my favorite are their "postage frames." These come in different shapes and configurations and there are also plastic "window" templates that match each. Once you stamp the frame, you place the template over and you can sponge or stipple ink for background color as well as stamp an image. When you remove the template, there is a small border around each section. The frame is then cut out with "stamp" decorative scissors and used on cards or scrapbook pages. Another idea is to use the template on a photo or even an old greeting card, tracing the shapes and then cutting out the shapes and adhering them inside the stamped frame. You could even use the frame as journaling blocks on a scrapbook page.

So here are the first few I've made. I have several more to share in the next few posts. Most of these are using the frame stamps. For the snowman card, I cut up a Christmas card I received and hated to throw away. This is a great way to recycle and give new life to an old card!

Santa Journal

I can't believe I totally forgot to post this during the holiday rush! An online friend, Judy Bidwell, made this beautiful altered mini notebook and I had commented on her blog how lovely it was. Lo and behold, soon after she responded with a request to do a one-on-one swap with her! I was overjoyed. I was the very lucky recipient of this little journal.

And this is the piece I sent to her. It's a little spoon fairy made from an old spoon, music page wings, flower "ruff" and a beaded handle and hanger.

Much needed Thank You cards

I needed to replenish my Thank You card stash and since I just received my recent order from Stampin Up, I decided to use the new Vintage Vogue stamp set. This is a CASE of a card made by Lynn Put which I'd seen on Splitcoast Stampers. I loved it so much I didn't change it a bit. Don't you like the pink and brown together? I have seen so many pretty samples done with these new stamps - I think it will be a very versatile and much used set. I'm also loving my new Martha Stewart lacy border punch. I bought it to use on my daughter's wedding projects, but it's great on cards too.

Lots of art, but can't share

I've been busy making lots of new projects, but nothing that I can share just yet. In February we will be teaching a Scrapbook-in-a-Day class using the new Prima album by Donna Downey. It's a darling album with five canvas pages and five page protectors for paper layouts and will be a fun class. The design team split up the pages and we each did four total. I ended up with two canvas pages, which I love working on, and loved my finished pages. They incorporate stamping, sewing, fabrics and more. Can't wait to share them here!

Last weekend I went to another local stamp convention and touched base with one of my favorite stamp vendors there - Just For Fun Stamps. By the end of my conversation with the owner, I came home with a bag full of their stamps to make samples for them! So I've been working on those and will share when I can.

Have you been keeping up with all the CHA news this week? Lots of new paper lines and new products coming. Check out the new die cut machine by Tim Holtz and the new Cake Cricut for cutting fondant for cake decorating! What will they think of next?

Shady Ladies Altered Art Retreat

Calling all altered art enthusiasts! There will be an altered art retreat in the charming little town of Salado, Texas, April 24-25, 2010. The teacher line-up is impressive, including Deryn Mentock and Lisa Renner, and the classes look inspiring. Check out the blog at: http://www.shadyladiesalteredart.blogspot.com/ , sign up for one or more classes and come spend a fun, relaxing and artful weekend in Texas!

CHA Buzz

Has everyone been following all the pre-CHA posts and sneak peeks out there in blogland? CHA - Winter 2010 hasn't even started (next week) and we are already being bombarded with so many gorgeous new paper lines and products. The sneak peeks I've seen are fantastic! Just wish I was going to get to see them firsthand asap, but I'll have to wait with everyone else for a few more weeks.



Check out some of these new products I've found:



Tim Holtz - new dies, "texture fades" (embossing folders), 12 new Distress Ink colors, new stamp sets, Sizzix "on the edge" dies and more: http://www.timholtz.typepad.com/



Maya Road - lots of new embellishments, chipboard, canvas and acrylic albums, flowers: http://www.mayaroad.typepad.com/



Graphic 45 - more paper lines, as beautiful as their previous papers: http://www.g45.com/



Webster's Pages - yummy new papers: http://www.websterspages.com/



Melissa Frances - lots of new products as gorgeous as ever: http://www.melissafrances.typepad.com/



Creative Imaginations - a beautiful new paper line called Beloved by Iron Orchid Designs: http://www.creativeimaginations.typepad.com/

And so much more I can't remember everything!

Help for Haiti

As I continue to watch the news and images from the devastation in Haiti, I am overcome with grief. The artist community has always been a caring and supportive community so it did not surprise me when I came across this etsy site (www.etsy.com/shop/HeartsforHaiti). Many etsy artists have come together and donated their wares to benefit the Doctors without Borders organization. All proceeds will go to that organization to help the Haitian people. Please check it out and purchase some handmade art while helping in this very small way.

One last Christmas project

I promise this is the last Christmas class project I will post. These are the cards I taught. Each card was a class - students could make twelve cards of the design chosen. My favorite is the vintage Santa card. The image is a Bo Bunny stamp which I love. I stamped it on acetate and then filled in just his suit with fine red glitter. The top card uses a fairly new EK Success border punch - isn't it cute? And the card in the lower right is embossed, colored with markers and layered on a cuttlebugged background edged with a gold leafing pen. I also added red Liquid Pearls to some of the ornaments.

Altered Cigar Box

This project was my favorite of all my holiday classes. It uses many of my favorite products that arrived in the store - Webster's Pages "Winter Song" papers, Maya Road ruched pink velvet ribbon, Melissa Frances vintage crepe paper, Mica flakes and white bottle tree, white silk ribbon and the holiday mini-bingo cards from Jenni Bowlin. I combined them all in this Victorian/shabby chic altered cigar box assemblage and added lots of Diamond Dust, silver glitter and Snow Writer. I used what I call "poor man's crackle" on the outside of the box: first it was painted with a pretty sage acrylic paint; after that dried, a thin to medium coat of white glue (regular old Elmer's School Glue) was painted on with a bristle brush; when the glue was tacky (but not dry), cream acrylic paint was brushed over. As everything dries, the top coat of paint starts cracking and makes a beautiful crackled finish with the bottom layer's color peeking through.

Here's a close-up of the inside. "Magical" was already printed on the paper - I added Stickles to highlight it.

The back of the box shows the crackle finish.

More Christmas

Here's another class I taught during Christmas. The base is a canvas (using the back side as the front) and the folded tree is made with mostly Basic Grey papers. Old music pages, pearl art metal and ruched velvet ribbon were also used.

More gifties

One of my art group friends made each of us in the group (11!) these goodies for Christmas. She decorated paint cans and then filled them with the personalized apron and a little decorated notebook, perfect for your purse or in the car. Thank you so much Trisha!


And now that the Christmas classes are finished, I can show some of the ones I designed. This is a banner using Graphic 45 papers, text pages, coffee filters, glittered balls and lots of different-textured ribbons. I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, but the fireplace mantel (isn't it gorgeous?) was a garage sale find for store display. It was dark with a shiny lacquered finish. We all decided it should be "shabbier" looking, so I started sanding away. That helped, but it still needed something more. Can you guess what was used? Fired Brick Distress Ink!! It added some subtle highlights and looked great. Not sure if you can see it in these photos, but it's there!

Scrap Happy

It's a new year and I'm in the mood to organize and clean! So today I began to clean up my disaster of a studio, but I didn't get very far. People who know me know that I save scraps and just hate to throw away anything that's still useable. While sorting through a pile of scraps that needed to be "filed," I decided to use them up rather than put them away. Since I need several thank-you cards, this served two purposes!

I cut strips from assorted scraps and glued them to a cardstock base (also scrap). A glue stick works best for this as it adheres the entire surface which will be important in the next step. Here's a scan of my glued strips (you can see I almost forgot to scan it first - one strip has already been cut).

This piece is then cut into varying sizes of strips (perpendicular to the original strips) and the strips are then rearranged in rows and adhered to another base piece. Here is the card I made using this as the background layer and adding another scrap strip which I crimped. The oval punch and thank you stamp are from Stampin Up.

And here is another similar card made from other scraps.

I've also been playing with my new Cricut cartridge (Storybook) and had made a few accent cuts to see how they looked. Here is a thank you cut from patterned paper and added to a kraft card stamped with a background stamp and white ink. I added a strip of the same patterned paper punched with a "notebook" border punch.

And the last one is another diecut layered on scrap pieces of cardstock and matching patterned paper. Super simple and quick cards and I made a dent in at least one pile of scraps!

Now, back to sorting and picking up!