Happy Thursday!  I would say good morning, but once again I’m running late and once again, I didn’t get my morning paper.  This is two days in a row that I’ve not had my morning crossword, Sudoku and jumble fix.  I called the paper and they offered to deliver it with tomorrow’s paper . . . what’s going to guaranty that I’m going to get tomorrow’s paper?  Nothing!  They no longer deliver the paper to Southern Indiana if your carrier fails to bring it.  WHAT?  They told me to get it offline.  Well, the puzzles are not the same online and how else am I going to know if I’m alive if I can’t read the obits!  I could go on and on here  . . . like how they charge $20/month for a paper that used to have some substance and now consists of maybe five pages that’s full of ads . . . .

Moving on and staying on task  . . . I have a card today!

All of a sudden I realize that I’m hooked on this paper and these colors this year . . . I just can’t help myself . . . .

The image was embossed with gold EP and then water colored with Distress Re-Inkers.  The panel on the side was made with the largest of Spellbinders™ Labels Six and then cut in half to fit the side of the card.  It’s a bummer, I covered the berries with Glossy Accents and it looks pretty cool in real life, but the picture blurs it.

• Stamps:  D2762 Holly Swag from Just For Fun Rubber Stamps
• Paper:  Arches Watercolor; Memory Box Spiceberry; Sage Shadow and Cranberry Crisp
• Ink:  Ranger Distress Embossing, Vintage Photo, Old Paper, Walnut Stain, Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint, Fired Brick, Aged Mahogany, Mustard Seed
• Accessories:  Spellbinders™ S4-190 Labels Four and S4-230 Labels Six; May Arts Ribbon; Ranger Queens Gold Embossing Powder, Matte and Glossy Accents; BasicGrey Button; Tsukineko Sponge Daubers; Foam Mounting Tape; Watercolor Brush; Sewing Machine; Brads

That’s all I have today (I’ve suddenly developed a mental block).  Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a fabulous day!

Hey y’all!  I just now realized that is was Wednesday, so . I thought I would have this post up earlier today, but we’ve been having some computer issues. I spent the morning working on the network and organizing the mess of wires upstairs. Thank goodness it is finally done and Mr. Stodgy will leave me alone about the Ethernet cord running along the kitchen floor, down the basement stairs, into my studio.   You’d think he could see that the cord was there and would walk step over it . . .

I remember when I was a child (well now, under 10 okay?) and we would have more snow than we get now.  I lived in the south end of Louisville at the foot of a hill.  All the streets started at the top of the hill and ran down to our street.  These hills were great for go-carts, bikes, skates and most importantly sleds.  You know I never remember school being cancelled for snow.  I just knew we had snow and we played outside all day making snow people and sledding.  I was always hoping to share those memories with my own children, but it seemed that the more the years went bye, the fewer snowfalls we’ve had.  I had a Flexible Flyer and couldn’t wait to purchase one for my girls (it’s hanging in the shed waiting for my grandchildren to come along one day).

When I saw the stamp I’ve used today, The Back Door by Just for Fun Rubber Stamps, I KNEW I had to have it.  This looks more like our own back door when my girls were little than when I was a little girls (we had a covered porch then).  I even painted the house that god awful red stain color that we have on our house now.   The backside even has the same type of siding!

I colored the image with Ranger Distress Re-Inkers, die cut and embossed with Spellbinders™  Oval Nesties and then distressed the edges.  While I was putting this card together, the image seemed too bright for the paper and I wanted it to look more aged.  I grabbed my Hot Wax Stylus and some natural beeswax and applied a light layer over the image.  Now here’s the neat part . . .  even though I didn’t need to fuse the wax because I had used the stylus, I decided to take the heat gun to it anyway.  The watercolor paper soaked up the wax and now the image is duller but there is no shiny coat.  I LOVE it!  I make an additional background layer, I took a mini manila tag and worked with the Wrinkle Free Distress Technique.

• Stamps:  H2298 The Back Door and D2615 All Good Cheer from Just For Fun Rubber Stamps
• Paper:  Arches Watercolor; Mini Manila Tags; Memory Box Spiceberry; Cranberry Crisp and True Thyme
• Ink:  Ranger Distress Embossing, Shabby Shutters, Pine Needles, Peeled Paint, Fired Brick, Aged Mahogany, Weathered Wood, Broken China, Old Paper, Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain, Faded Jeans, More Mustard, Spiced Marmalade; and Ranger Archival Black and Coffee
• Accessories:  Spellbinders™ S5-015 Deckled Mega Rectangles – Large, S4-140 Petite Ovals – Small, S4-138 Petite Ovals – Large, and S4-141 Petite Scalloped Ovals – Small; Ranger Non-Stick Craft Mat, Mini Mister, Gold Adirondack Paint Dabber, White Inkssentials Gel Pen and Rock Candy Distress Stickles; Tim Holtz Tonic Distress Tool; 7 Gypsies Paper Fasteners; Tsukineko Sponge Daubers; May Arts Ribbon; Foam Mounting Tape; Sewing Machine; Vintage Button; Papertrey Rustic Cream Button Twine; Gold Spica Pen

Well that’s all folks!  I hope you’ve had a fabulous day and thanks for stopping by!

I thought I would post this project last night, but I got a little . . . . clean the kitchen, make something to eat, clean the kitchen . . . .

My card today only took about 2 days to complete.  On Saturday night I water colored the image and if I must say so . . . . it was absolutely fabulous.  The colors were just right and quite frankly, it was the best water coloring that I’ve done in a long time.  I set the image aside to dry and began working on the actual card base.  After an extended length of drying time, I picked the image up and began sponging some ink onto the edges.  WELL . . .

just a little speck of color not dry and a big old fat thumb and you not what you get  . . . . red thumb prints right in the middle of the image . . . . between the stems.  It wasn’t salvageable.  I tried!  So out came the distress re-inker palette and I tried again.   Making sure there was plenty of drying time (because I could use the heat tool since I had gold embossing) I let the image set overnight.  Much to my dismay there are still some thumb prints  . . . but hey, we have to go with what we got.

The first go at water coloring was actually better than this one . . . the colors were lighter and not so dark.  I got a little heavy-handed with this one.  The background paper is sponged and sewn to another cardstock panel before placing on the card base.  After I had my layout, I thought the top corners looked a little nekked, so I added some brads on each side to complete my triangle.

• Stamps:  D2615 All Good Cheer and G3177 Poinsettia from Just For Fun Rubber Stamps
• Paper:  Arches Hot Pressed Watercolor; Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; Prism Sunflowers Light; Riding Hood Red; Graphic 45 Christmas Past Collection – Deck the Halls
• Ink:  Ranger Distress Embossing, Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint, Scattered Straw, Mustard Seed, Worn Lipstick, Fired Brick, Aged Mahogany, Dried Marigold and Spiced Marmalade
• Accessories:  Spellbinders™ S4-230 Labels Six, S7-014 Grand 12” Classic Lace Border, and S3-030 Tag Shape 3; Ranger Queen’s Gold Embossing Powder; Brads; Vintage Button; Gold Cord; Ribbon; Foam Mounting Tape; Watercolor Brushes; Tsukineko Sponge Dauber; Tim Holtz Tonic Distressing Tool; Sewing Machine; Hole Punch

I think this is all I have for today so far.  I have an appointment later this morning with the hand surgeon about my trigger thumb and hopefully with be back in the studio by this afternoon.  Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a great day!

Happy Thursday morning!  Whoa . . . do you know how dirty a room can get when you don’t move things to dust for months and months and months?  Like behind the television stand . . . those darn dust bunnies . . . well some were as big as my hand.  Now what does that say about me?  I would rather be creative and spend my time getting dirty with ink than getting dirty cleaning the house.  That’s what I’ve been doing the last couple of days and only have 2 rooms done.  But hey . . . it’s a start! 

I  have a couple of errands to run this morning and then I’m heading home to get dirty with INK!  Do I have any ideas?  Nope, we’ll just see what comes out of it.  But before I leave, I just want to tell you that Just For Fun Rubber Stamps is on the road this weekend and will be at the Greater New York Art Stamp Show in Smithtown, Long Island.  If you are in the area this is a great opportunity to meet Debby and Rick, the owners of Just For Fun.   Pop in the booth, look around at the fabulous displays, say HI to Debby and Rick, and then tell them that I sent you!  Who knows there might be a little surprise waiting for you.

I need to seriously hit the road now!  I hope you have a great day.

Good Monday morning!  I think I might be back on track and will be able to post more often than I have the last couple of weeks.  I have a special announcement today! 

A few years ago at Stampfest Orlando, I met the owner of Just For Fun Rubber Stamps, Debby.  She is the organizer of Stampfest Orlando and I’ve had the opportunity to talk with her both times I was there.  She also travels the show circuit, and Just For Fun is always at Stampaway in Cincinnati, giving me another opportunity to chat with Debby and her husband Rick.  Debby and I have talked over the past year and a half about how she wanted to start a design team, blog, etc., and where she needed to start.  Needless to say, with each of us having busy schedules, etc., the discussions never went any further.  This year after chatting very briefly with Debby at CHA and Stampaway Cincinnati, Debby asked if I would put together a design team for her and be the Coordinator.  This time, I said yes and here we are . . . Announcing the very first Just For Fun Design Team!

I am so excited to be working with this group of ladies, some new to the design team world, and a few you’ll immediately recognize as designers I’ve worked with before.  So without further adieu, and in no particular order, I give you the Just For Fun Rubber Stamps Design Team:

Broni Holcombe – Splashes of Watercolor

Heidi Blankenship – Embellished Dreams

Linda Duke – Linda’s Works for Heart

Sandy Sandrus – CleverIdeas

Starla Nelson – Exploring Creativity

Be sure to visit their blogs today, as each of them will be posting with images from Just For Fun Rubber Stamps.  I for one can’t wait to see what they’ve created for us today!

Here’s what I’ve created for today . . . a little Thanksgiving nostalgia.

The image was colored with Distress Re-Inkers and then the edges were sponged with Antique Linen.  When working with a cornucopia image, I always think of the song “Over the river and through the woods.”  If you are at least my age, you’ve got to remember it too!  It was one of those standards we always sung in grade school.  I found a copy of the words on the internet, printed them out, and gave them a little distressing with the Wrinkle Free Distress Technique.  It was then tucked in behind the image.  I made some frames using Spellbinders™ Oval and Square Nesties, and tucked them around the image as well.   I always forget to tell you this, but after I sew the background paper to another panel, I go back and sponge the edges with distress ink.  It tones down the white thread I use so that it appears more aged.

• Stamps:  G1624 Cornucopia from Just For Fun Rubber Stamps
• Paper:  Arches Watercolor; Prism Suede Brown Dark and Papaya Puree Medium; 7 Gypsies Market
• Ink:  Ranger Archival Coffee, Old Paper, Scattered Straw, Vintage Photo, Spiced Marmalade, Dried Marigold, Walnut Stain, Dusty Concord, Fired Brick, Aged Mahogany, Mustard Seed, Shabby Shutters and Peeled Paint Distress
• Accessories:  Spellbinders™ S4-128 Classic Squares- Small, S4-126 Classic Squares – Large, S4-Petite Ovals – Small, and S4-139 Petite Scalloped Ovals – Large; Watercolor Brushes; 7 Gypsies Paper Fasteners; Papertrey Vintage Button and Jute; Computer; Sewing Machine; Tsukineko Sponge Daubers; Ribbon

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a fantastic day!