Glamping

Hi, bloggin' buddies!
I have a thing for vintage trailers. I love to see how owners decorate them and set up for show.

When I saw this Fusion Challenge (I am new to this site/challenge) I knew that I had to join in and have some fun.



While I love the colors and the sketch, I elected to go with the photo as my inspiration. I watercolored this sweet camper from Stamping' Up and added lots of accessories. The banner is from Simon Says Stamp ("Folded Banner") and the sentiment is from Lawn Fawn. The perfect patterned paper is from an Authentique pad called "Adventure".

Although it has been an unusually hot one, I always hate to see the end of summer, with its long days and cooler nights, coming to an end. A trip in this baby would cap it all off with style!

Thanks for the visit and happy trails,

Another Brusho Background

Hi, Bloggin' Buddies,

A quick post tonight to share another of the Brusho backgrounds I made while learning from my friend Shirley. I love all of the amazing the colors of this one - and it is actually just a single color (Ultramarine) of Brusho. I used lots of water to blend the granules.

This is a new die from Simon Says Stamp - so appropriate with what is currently going on in the USA and around the world. Love it!

I am submitting this to the current Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Blog Challenge which is "Anything Goes".

Thanks for the visit and remember to be kind,

Brushing Up on Brushos

Hi, Bloggin' Buddies!

Yesterday my card-making friend Shirley (who is also the amazing President of our "Paper Arts" group) invited a few of us over to learn some techniques/play with Brushos.

I was introduced to these a few years ago but I never really got into them because I am such a control freak and there is NO CONTROL with this product! But, I am trying to loosen up and enjoy them because they really are spectacular and lots of fun. Thanks, Shirley!

This is the first background I made using the pre-wet background technique. I spritzed it with a little Perfect Pearls after it was dry to give it a shimmer.

My sense was that this needed to be a fall-themed card. I used the Memory Box "Boddington Tree Border" die and added an embossed  Paper Smooches ("Salutations") sentiment mounted on a tag from the Sizzix/Tim Holtz Alterations "Thinlits" tag dies.

I love the results and am just delighted to have had this friendly inspiration.

Thanks for the visit and have a great week,

Eclipster!

Hi, Bloggin' Buddies!

Have you joined the eclipse craze? We have a dear friend, a cat-lover, who is in Charleston with his family to view the event. I thought I'd make him a card with a custom-made Tim Holtz Hipster ready to view the eclipse - yes, I call him the Eclipster! I used Distress Oxide Inks to make a galaxy background and to watercolor this crazy guy.

I get nervous when I need to get the old Xacto Knife out and do some fancy carving, in this case for the special glasses. I didn't quite get the lenses even, but that just kind of adds to his character, right? I heat embossed the glasses with several coats of shiny color. Fun!

Enjoy the event, be safe and (of course) stay hip! Thanks for the visit,

Back to School

Hi, Bloggin' Buddies!

School starts today for the young ones around here.

I had been eyeing the Lawn Fawn Scalloped Pop-Up die for quite awhile and finally decided that I had to have it. I used it on this card I made to celebrate the new school year for a sweet young gal who often crafts with me.

Let me just say that it all looked so much easier on all the videos! I know I should have done a "test drive" to shake out all the bugs, but once I decided to do it, I jumped right on in. There are little idiosyncrasies that one must figure out and allow for - the next one will be easier. It must be- ha!

I thought a "wise owl" theme would be fun, not just because I get a real kick out of owls, but because I have quite a collection of owl stamps (many are quite old - can't seem to let them go!). These are all from Hero Arts. I made a neutral colored box and each owl has sparkly & bold color.  I used a couple of computer-generated sentiments for two of the box flaps.

This folds so perfectly into a regular A3 envelope and I adore the sweet tiny star and heart dies that are included in the set.

Now that I have walked through the construction of this, I believe that future ones will go together much less effortlessly and that I will be able to make them even more complex and fun. I knew all those years of studying architecture would come in handy some day!

Thanks for the visit and grab your pee-chees and your lunch boxes (now you know how old I really am!) and be wise in school!

Don't go, summertime!

Hi, Bloggin' Buddies!

Although this summer has been incredibly hot, I sure don't like seeing it getting ready to say "good-bye".  The days are already getting shorter and my happy summertime mode is being threatened. My hubby loves fall, but I always dread it, so there you go!

For some reason my card making summer has been influenced heavily by the amazing Tim Holtz. I've always appreciated Tim's products and designs, but for whatever reason, I've been immersed this summer. It seems I'm always reaching for his "Crazy Birds", his hilarious "Hipsters", the amazing new Distress Oxide Inks, and I even have a new interest in his alcohol inks. My Pinterest boards are full of Tim-related products and ideas!

Today I have a card featuring a Crazy Bird. I have a friend who is into altered art and volunteers with a local charter school, teaching art. She is amazing! I wanted to show my support and wish her a good school year, so I made this "Z-fold" card using Distress Inks, some matching flowers from my stash and a cute speech bubble stamp from Lawn Fawn's "Chit Chat" set. I used some Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Collection cardstock to coordinate with the ink colors.

I had actually never made a Z-fold card until I took a class from my friend Sandy earlier this summer. It adds a little interest, especially for an artsy card and an ever more artsy recipient.

Thanks for the visit, and continue to enjoy your summer while you may.......

You Old Goat

Hello, Bloggin' Buddies!

Yes, it is very hot here, so I am allowing myself to spend more time in the studio. Such a shame.....

As I have said before, when I first saw the Tim Holtz Hipster (Stampers Anonymous and Sizzix) series, I was taken aback and honestly slightly disgusted. But, they seriously grew on me and now they are my special pals. Their personalities are so unique and silly! And, depending on how they are used, they can be so versatile -- and so terribly HIP!

One of my favorites is this goat (although my first love was the Ostrich, here). Originally I had made a wonderful background for him with layers of Distress Oxide Inks, but when he was complete he looked so much more outstanding against this rich solid color. I embossed the background with LifeStyle Crafts' "Retro Squares" embossing folder and added a couple of strips of the Distress Oxide background to the front of the card.

Mr. Goat is stamped with Versafine Sepia ink and is watercolored with Distress Ink markers. HIs glasses and tie were done with Versafine Black and Glossy Accents were added to his glasses.

I made a little boutonnière with Memory Box "Adorable Posies" dies using Distress Cardstock. The sentiment is from the Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous "Crazy Talk" set.

For the inside I used a perfect phrase from Simon Says Stamp's "Happy Birthday Farm Animals" set.

Hot fun in the Summertime! Thanks for the visit and stay cool and hip,

Wining Again!

Hello, bloggin' buddies!

Hope you have had a wonderful weekend. Stinking' hot here, so some crafting going on! I haven't used my Art Impressions stamps in some time, so I got a set ("Celeste Set") out and got busy.

I like to combine paper piecing and Copic coloring to get some variety and shading. Because this gal is such a focus I decided to keep the background plain and I just added a die-cut flower (My Favorite Things "Gerbera Daisy) as an embellishment.

I particularly love how the couch turned out - it is pretty realistic!

I don't know if any of you have issues with Signa white gel pens.....they are great when they work, but I had to try several before I got one to write......I can't tell you how many of those I throw away every year. No more....I'm going to try (cheap) white acrylic paint and a tiny brush.

Thanks for the visit, have a great week!

Distress Oxydes

Hi, Blogging' Buddies!

I have a Paris-inspired card made with yet another Distress Oxide Ink background (hence the title of this post - I believe that would be how it is said in French - ha!). Layers and layers of color were added to watercolor paper and each was dried to create wonderful depth of colors. Love!

I have a wonderful new exercise class instructor who, besides being full of knowledge and positive attitudes, opens our classes with a little gem of wisdom and inspiration. Last week one of her opening snippets was about the Eiffel Tower, so I decided that I would make her an appropriate card to let her know how very much I already appreciate her.

I used my large Sizzix Bigz Eiffel Tower Die (an oldie!) and I embossed the entire die cut with some Hero Arts Platinum Embossing Powder. The background was stamped with a Tim Holtz/Stamper's Anonymous set called "French Market".

The stamp and die set I used for the sentiment is "Amazing" by My Favorite Things - such a fun and versatile set!

I added some crochet yarn and a charm from my stash and it is ready to go. Since I am such a Francophile, I have lots of products that I have saved over the years that, although they are rarely used, I can't seem to let go of.

Thanks for the visit - Au Revoir, mes copains!

Still Distressing!

Hi, Bloggin' Buddies!

I just can't seem to keep my fingers clean! I have lost many hours playing with my Distress Oxide Inks - I simply can't keep my hands off of them.

This is a quick bookmark I put together for a lady at church who helped me out the other day. Since she sings in the choir, I thought this beautiful sentiment ("Lord is my Strength") from Spellbinders was appropriate - the font is so lovely! It is heat embossed on a tag that I created with Distress Oxide Inks and the "Bold Floral" stencil from Hero Arts. The butterfly is made from 2 Memory Box dies (Kaleidoscope Butterfly and Moonlight Butterfly).

Thanks for the visit and have a great week!