Juggling Act

I am so going to hate going back to work tomorrow after my nice long weekend when the only part of my schedule that I had to juggle was which hobby to do when.  But enough thinking about work--I still have a whole day left!

Doing his own juggling act is this cutie clown from a set of circus images that Tracey sneaked into the Starving Artistamps line awhile back.  She doesn't always release images with a lot of fanfare, so it's worth it to check out her "What's New" page every so often.  You never know what goodies you might find!

For the layout on this card, I used the sketch from Card Positioning Systems challenge CPS 169.  My clown is colored with Copic markers, and I used brads for the juggling balls.

Well, I'm off to make the most of my last day off.

Just checking in...

I've been busy working on things but really haven't had anything to post here.  Finally, though, I have a couple of things I can share.

First, I guess I should confess that I've become an Inchie Addict.  I've been doing some swaps on RubberStampChat, and I'm totally hooked on these little things.  Why?  They're tiny, and I've always had an inexplicable desire to make things in miniature.  They're easy, or at least they can be.  They can be made from the tiniest little scraps--again, the inexplicable tiny attraction.  They're FUN!

These are some of the inchies I've made for recent swaps.  I've used all kinds of stamps and techniques here so I won't detail everything here.  But, if you have a question about anything, just drop me an email.

The second thing I have to admit is that I really, really enjoy drawing portraits.  This is a real revelation to me because when I drew my first portrait (the one of my grandson), I didn't so much do it because I wanted to, it was more because I felt that I should try at least try one.  But it was fun!  And I want to do more!

So right now I'm taking Cindy Wider's Portraiture in Your Pyjamas on Drawspace.com, and the second thing I have to share with you today is a graphite portrait I did for that class. 

Well, that's all for now.  Have a great weekend, everyone!

Divine Diva Inspiration Challenge 28

I love Clinique Bonus time, and I still can't believe I didn't get this one.  But, thanks to Lori choosing this photo as our inspiration this week, at least I have a card!

This card was really pretty easy to make.  I embossed a scrap of hot pressed watercolor paper (unlike cold-pressed, it's smooth) and then added color with Inktense pencils.  I didn't actually draw on the paper, I took color from the tips of the pencils with my wet brush and painted the colors on.  The butterfly is from Starving Artistamps, and it's colored very quickly with Copic markers.  The whole thing took me about an hour, which for me is lightening fast!

The other Divine Divas always come up with some amazing cards, so be sure to have a look at theirs too.  You can see all of their creations on their blogs: Anne, Chris, Lori, Julie, and Kerri.  And, don't forget that you're welcome to join us.  If you do, post a link on Lori's blog, and if you upload to Splitcoast Stampers or Papercraft Planet, use the keyword DDIC.

Thanks for stopping by!

Pssst...

Here's another card I made awhile back and never posted.  The lovebirds and sentiment are from Starving Artistamps, and I colored them with my trusty Copic markers. 

It's a really nice day here for a change, and maybe, just maybe, the threat of a killing frost has finally past.  I'm going to go way out on a limb and put in some plants this weekend. 

Happy Saturday!

Check it Out!

There's a Virtual Rubber Stamp Convention going on right now at Rubberstamp Chat. Starving Artistamps is there with a great discount offer along with over 20 other vendors. If you like a bargain (and who doesn't?), check it out before it ends tomorrow.

My card for today features Flob from the Starving Artistamps DoodleFactory Creatures II collection doing the underpants dance.  One of the other creatures is probably taking way too long in the bathroom, lol!  Flob is colored with Copic markers, and the rest, I think, is pretty easy to figure out.

To all you mothers who happen by here, I hope you're having an enjoyable Mother's Day.  I'm fixing a fancy gourmet dinner for my mother-in-law, Sauteed Chicken Cutlets with Asparagus, Spring Onions and Parsley-Tarragon Gremolata.  Hope she likes it!

A Miracle of Sorts

Glory be! I made this card for this week's Card Positioning Systems sketch challenge (165), and I'm actually posting it before the challenge ends. What next? Will I get my whole house clean at the same time? I just don't know what to think anymore, lol.

My card uses images from the Starving Artistamps DoodleFactory Creatures II set and paper from the Cosmos Cricket Early Bird Mini Deck.  Don't they play nice together? 

I think the details of how I made this card are pretty straightforward, but if you have a questions just leave a comment and I'll be happy to answer.

I gotta run...lots to do today!

Divine Diva Inspiration Challenge 27

It's time for another Divine Diva Inspirations challenge, and this time, I even had time to make a card.  When  looked at the inspiration photo (from The Inglenook Decor) for today's challenge, the first things I noticed were the white alabaster frames and those beautiful butterflies.  Even though the arrangement in the photo is fairly monochromatic, a closer look revealed all kinds of shapes, textures, and materials.  I incorporated a few of my favorites in my card -- the shimmer of pearls, the colors of shells, and even some beads.

I will admit that the beading on this card took a fair amount of time, but it's not hard to do.  I pierced holes around the edge of the brown panel by using my sewing machine unthreaded.  I attached the beads by using a running stitch by hand.  You actually have to go twice around to get a solid line of beads, which is what makes it time intensive.

The rest of the card is very quick and easy.  The reddish panel is just a piece of cardstock with some acrylic pearlizing medium dabbed on.  Once the paint dried, I ran it through my Cuttlebug and embossed it with a swirl pattern.  I distressed the edges, and since I had my sewing machine out, I stitched around the edges, too.  The butterfly is a Creative Imaginations adhesive rub-on on brown card stock, foiled with gold foil.  My white frame is cut with a Nestabilities die from pearlescent paper.  The only stamp I used was the sentiment (Stampin' Up).

It's good to be back after my little hiatus, and I can't wait to see what the other Divine Diva team members came up with. You can see all of their creations on their blogs: Anne, Chris, Lori, Julie, and Kerri.  And, don't forget that you're welcome to join us.  If you do, post a link on Lori's blog, and if you upload to Splitcoast Stampers or Papercraft Planet, use the keyword DDIC.

Thanks for stopping by!

Technique by Design

I made this card for the Technique Junkies Technique by Design challenge.  The challenge gives a sketch along with the added requirement to use a TJ technique in at least one of the background panels.  On my card, I used Dabbed Shimmers on the left and upper right, Metallic Parchment on the middle right, and Polished Stone on the bottom.  I colored the flower (Hero Arts) with colored pencils, masked it, and then stamped the text background (Inkadinkado).  The card seemed a bit unbalanced so I added a few Dew Drops and some Barbara Trombley's Earth Elements Tailings, which added just the right amount of sparkle.

Thanks for stopping by, and I'll see you bright and early Thursday for the next Divine Diva Inspiration challenge!

Lovebirds

I've been organizing my image files, and I've come across quite a few cards that I never posted for one reason or another.  This is one that I did last fall using stamps from Starving Artistamps. The lovebirds are colored with Copic markers and the background is created by stamping the feather randomly in shades of orange and red.  A very quick and easy card!