New Discount Code!

To take 10% off all Starving Artistamps and DoodleFactory rubber stamps use the code savetenDD when you check out! This is a new code, so if you have my old one stashed away somewhere, make sure to update your records.

Post edited on 9/2/08 to correct terms of offer.

Need a Lift?

Here's another Doodle Factory card. I've just been having so much fun working with these stamps...talk about whimsy!

These images come from the Country and City collections and both are available at Starving Artistamps. I stamped them on colored cardstock and added some simple highlighting with my Copic markers. The printed paper is Basic Grey cupcake, and the embossing is done with one of the new Cuttlebug border sets.

Hope you're enjoying your long weekend!

The Last of My Memory Box Cards

For now, anyway. I've really enjoyed working with these images, so I'm sure I'll invest in some more rubber on my next visit to the Stamp and Scrap Nest. The coloring technique for these cards is the same as I've described in my last two posts.

Enjoy the long holiday weekend! We've got lots of activities planned, so I'll see you when I see you!

I took a class at my LSS (Stamp and Scrap Nest in Simsbury, CT) with Dave Brethauer from Memory Box a few weeks ago, and man, was it FUN! He was teaching colored pencil techniques, which I didn't think I really needed since I take studio classes, but I was in the mood for a class and Dave was bringing brand new images to play with. I'm so glad I took the class...he's a great teacher, and I picked up several good tips and tricks.

I just got around to assembling my images into cards last week, and these are a couple of them. Both images are colored and blended with Prismacolor pencils. For the leaves on the branch, we colored green on one end, orange on the other and blended over the entire thing with yellow. The yellow makes the colors absolutely pop!

Except for the scrap of green paper I used for the Cuttlebug embossed mat, all of the paper I used on this card is from Memory Box.

For the bird on the second card, I used the same technique with shades of brown, red and tan, and then used cream for blending. I also used one of my very cool new Cuttlebug border embossing folders on this card.

Most of the paper on this one is from my scrap pile, but the printed paper the image is stamped on is from Memory Box.

So what are the best tips I learned from the class? Well...I think the best was to use another color for blending. Generally speaking you'll want to use a color lighter than the ones you colored with, but get your pencils out and start scribbling. You might be very pleasantly surprised by what you come up with. The other tip I would share is to use your patterned paper! It add so much interest to your image panel and pretty much eliminates the need to do anything with the background.

So get out those pencils are start playing!

No time to talk...

I'm way behind schedule this morning so this will be a quickie!

I decided to post this card today in honor of the gorgeous fall-like weather we've been having here in Connecticut. The stamp is a DoodleFactory image available at Starving Artistamps, I colored the image with Derwent watercolor pencils, and the printed paper is from Basic Grey.

Have a great day!

Smile!

I only have time for a very quick post, but I did want to start your Wednesday off with a bit of whimsy. The stamps here are from the DoodleFactory Country and Fairytale collections available at Starving Artistamps, and the paper, including the sentiment, is from the Cosmo Cricket 8x8 Hello Sunshine pad. No fancy techniques here at all...just images stamped on colored cardstock and cutout with just a few highlight here and there with a clear glaze pen.

Enjoy!

More DoodleFactory Fun

Have you checked out any of the sentiment sets that go with the DoodleFactory collections at Starving Artistamps? Tracey and Heidi have been doing a fabulous job coming up fun and quirky sentiments, and this one just cracks me right up. I actually chuckle everytime I think of it. Yup, I'm pretty easily amused!

My little scene is color with Copics, and that in itself was quite an adventure. It was pretty humid the day I did this, and I can tell you first hand that the markers don't blend as well on damp paper! I was determined to use them, though, because some of them were brand-spankin' new. Since I was having so much trouble with blending, I didn't even want to attempt doing a blended sky. Instead I used the chisel tip on two shades of pale blue and loosely covered the background. I then went over the whole this with colorless blender to fade the colors somewhat. The frog and the big mushroom are popped up on dimensionals, mostly because I didn't stamp things in the right order to do a mask like I did for the small mushrooms.

I also got one of the Cuttlebug border embossing sets new last week, so I just had to use one of them on this card. Those things are way, way cool! If you have a Cuttlebug, they're a must have as far as I'm concerned!

OK...what else? The sketch is from Splitcoast Stampers Sketch Challenge #189. There. I think that covers it!

My Last smARTworks Challenge

My term on the smARTworks Design Team ended Friday. Susan asked me to stay on, but sadly, I had to say no because of my crazy schedule. BUT...I still love smARTworks, so you'll still see plenty of smARTworks images on this blog. I also understand that there just might be a change to the smART Cookies Tea Party challenges that would allow me to participate. You know me...I love a party!

I made this card for the last Design Team challenge that I participated in, which Susan unveiled on Friday. The stamp set we all received is called Emerge and features this cute little guy along with a nice selection of sentiments. Visit Susan's In the Works blog and you could win a set of your own.

For the background (eggshell), I used a Technique Junkies technique called Faux Handmade paper. I stamped my turtle on scraps of green and brown patterned paper (Basic Grey, probably), and then added shading with Copic markers. You can't see it in this photo, but I've got several different layers to give the turtle some dimension, and I colored over his eyes with a clear glaze pen to make them shine. He really came to life when I did that!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend...it's been a real beauty here.
And last, but not least...CONGRATULATIONS, Michael Phelps!

Aaaah...Friday, Again!

Don't get me wrong, I love my job...really, I do. But there's just something about Friday, especially a Friday in the summertime. I have a whole glorious weekend stretching out in front of me with no real plans to speak of. It just doesn't get any better!

Here's a card to start the weekend off...the stamps are from Starving Artistamps, and the technique is Designer Tiles from the latest Technique Junkies Newsletter. The papers I used are mostly from the Basic Grey Cupcake 6x6 pad, along with a few miscellaneous scraps. I stamped the images with Colorbox Fluid Chalk Blue Iris Ink and embossed the "grout" with Stampin' Stuff Cobalt Blue EP.

Enjoy!

The Princess House

The Saville Dam on Barkhamsted Reservoir is not too far from where we live, and you drive over the dam on the way to my MIL's. It's quite a scenic spot, made more so by the stone walls and buildings that look like a castle with turrets. Our DGD asked her mother recently who lived in the "Princess House". Her mom wasn't sure so told her she should ask her Papa. When she did, my DH matter-of-factly told her that it wasn't a castle at all, but a pump house. He then proceeded to bore all of us with the engineering details of how the dam functions. Men!

Anyway, this card is for Piper, and yes, a Princess lives in this Princess House. She's waiting for her Knight in shining armor, Sir Silimus, to return from his latest crusade. When he does, he'll marry his fair maiden and they will live happily ever after.

The stamps I used on this card are of course from the DoodleFactory Fairytale collection available at Starving Artistamps. I colored the castle with Prismacolor pencils, and it ended up looking a bit too dreary for my taste. To correct that, I covered the panel with clear microbeads that I've had hanging around forever. The scalloped edging around the arch is done with punched circles glued from behind. I colored our Princess with Prismacolor pencils...no Gamsol...I just blended everything with a lighter color in the same family. Finishing touches include ribbon streamers, rhinestones, rhinestone brads, Prima flowers and Basic Grey paper.

Lovestruck

Oh, my...it's been longer than I thought since I last posted. I've got lots of new cards to share, but haven't taken pics yet. Once I get that done, I can go on a posting blitz!

But for now, here's a cute little lovey-dovey card I made awhile back to get you by. The stamps are all from The Cat's Pajamas. The colored inks are Colorbox Fluid Chalk, and the black is Brilliance Graphite Black. I paper pieced the images with scraps of Basic Grey paper and added a bit of shading with Copic markers. Finishing touches include a heart-shaped rhinestone, white gel pen, and a piece of shiney vinyl ribbon.

Enjoy!

For the Love of Cupcakes

I admit it...I am completely caught up in the cupcake craze. I'm not sure what it is, but I love them! I had some time yesterday, so I thought I'd play along in some of the Splitcoast Stampers challenges. This card satisfies sketch challenge SC187 and the Limited Supplies Challenge LSC179, which was to create a card that would make someone smile. Cupcakes make me smile, and I hope they do the same for you!

The stamps I used are from Hero Arts. I forget exactly what they are called, but it's a small set of clear stamps that came with flower-shaped rhinestones. The cupcake is just a single cupcake, and did some simple masking to create a stack of them. They are stamped with Brilliance Graphite Black and colored with Copic and Prismacolor markers. Embellishments are some Cuttlebug shapes (tag and flower), twill tape, ribbon, and a dewdrop. Paper is from Basic Grey Cupcake (6x6 pad).

Enjoy, have fun, and eat your cupcake!

Still Living a Fairytale

With my cards, anyway! Here's another one with images from the DoodleFactory Fairytale collection available from Starving Artistamps.

I colored my princess with Copic markers and used ALL of my drawings skills to doodle in the ground and a flower. The sentiment is from Fairytale sentiments, but I selectively stamped words from two sentiments to get the one I wanted for this card. The scallops on the main panel are cut with a Nestabilties rectangle die. There's actually a whole rectangle under there.

And now, here's some really awesome news...incredibly talented Irene has doodled up another fabulous DoodleFactory set called the Great Outdoors! Tracey, the esteemed owner of Starving Artistamps, and Heidi, design team member extraordinaire, have worked up a wonderful set of sentiments to go with. OK. Now here's the coolest part...Tracey is giving the first sheets away as blog candy. Yup!!!!! How cool is that??? Check it out here: Starving Artistamps Blog