Autumn Pumpkin and Gustav Update

Just a quick update on what's going on here with Gustav. All shelters here are full. Evacuees are being told to go further north to find shelter. All public and private schools will be closed through Wednesday, as well as the universities. The American Red Cross and FEMA have set up shelters in many of those facilities. Local off-duty firemen and policemen are being told to call for further instructions on reporting to duty.

I am impressed by the thoughtful preparation...as opposed to Katrina. Governor Jindal was scheduled to speak at the Republican National Convention next week. Those plans have been put on hold so that he can be here during this time of crisis.

It's hard to imagine that we will have a tropical storm here beginning in less than 24 hours.The weather here today was extremely nice...warm and sunny. I even enjoyed the pool for an hour or so. Perhaps that's what they refer to as "the calm before the storm".


So....on to the card. As you can see, I haven't yet been able to leave the Artful Stamper stamps. But at least I've moved back from Christmas to Thanksgiving! LOL!

This stamp is called Autumn Pumpkin . I stamped the image on watercolor paper using VersaMark Ink , and embossed with JudiKins Detail Gold embossing powder.

The stamped image was colored with Tombow markers . I stamped the bottom portion again on a scrap watercolor paper, then colored, cut out, and popped up the leaves at the bottom of the image for dimension.

The sentiment is Thanksgiving Blessings by Impression Obsession.

The designer paper is some I've had in my stash for ages! The rich orange cardstock is from the Papaya Puree Prismatics pack, and the brown is Suede Brown .

I ask that you continue to pray for the evacuees and their families. Even though evacuation in south Louisiana was mandatory, many chose not to leave their homes. They will most certainly need your prayers to get through the storm ahead.

Thanks once more for all your emails, comments and kind words. They are MUCH appreciated. As long as I have Internet access and power, I will be around.

{{{HUGS!}}}

Gustav Report from Louisiana

My most heartfelt thanks to those of you in blog land who have emailed me to see if I am evacuating, or if I am safe. Yes...I am safe, and no, I'm not going anywhere.

The southern part of the state is evacuating to the area where I live. The schools here have announced that they will be closed Monday through Wednesday of this week because the buses are needed to help with the evacuation from other areas of the state. As we speak, several of our local facilities are being set up as evacuation shelters.

My boss (at my real job) is in the National Guard. He was activated to duty on Friday. He has called me about 4 times (so far) today to keep me abreast of what they are doing, and what they are told to expect. I am told they anticipate the storm to hit around 2:00 Monday afternoon, but specifically where is not readily apparent. We should be okay here. I may lose Internet access as well as power. We are expecting 8 to 18 inches of rain, and winds around 60 mph...or so they tell me.

When I bought groceries this afternoon, as I always do on Saturday, I noticed that there was no more bottled water on the shelves...and people were buying batteries and canned goods in bulk. Did I buy batteries? Heck no! What WAS I thinking???? It brought back a lot of memories for me. I vividly remember Katrina and Rita, and the unbelievable destruction of everything in its path. Many of us worked at the shelters, helping in any way we could. To see the devastation of the families first-hand was a humbling experience, indeed.

Please pray for the families in harm's way. They are afraid...with good reason. They have been there before.

And again, my most sincere thanks for your concern.

Hugs to you all!

Three Christmas Stockings

You're just going to have to forgive me for making yet another Artful Stamper card. I seem to have no self control....I just LOVE these stamps!

This one is pretty simple. In fact, it's simplicity was one of the things I liked about this card. After looking at the photos of it, I think I need to use this stamp again and "kick it up a notch" when I have a little more time to spend on it. The stamp is called Three Stockings .

I stamped it on watercolor paper using VersaMark Ink then embossed with JudiKins Detail Gold embossing powder.

The stamped image was colored with Tombow (water based) markers. I did a little shading using a damp watercolor brush.

After assembling my card I added White Liquid Applique to the top of the stockings and cured it with my heat tool. Then I added some Stickles Glitter Glue over the Liquid Applique for a bit of sparkle. I'm not sure, but I think I used Frosted Lace.

Well....I finally took the plunge and ordered some of the Copic Markers last night. Am I about the last stamper in America to finally give in? Geez.....just figuring out which colors to order was a monumental task! I think there are over 300 colors in the Sketch markers. Fortunately, my friend Tosha made some suggestions, so that helped things along quite a bit. I will let you know when they get here...and we will find out if I'm Copic Challenged! :-) I've been reading the I Like Markers blog for a while now. Let's hope that helps!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you have a fabulous Friday!

Angel Baby

Yes...it's another Artful Stamper card. Sorry, I just couldn't help myself! I think this little angel is so, so sweet. His name is James .

I stamped on watercolor paper using VersaMark ink, then embossed with white detail embossing powder.

The stamped image was colored with Tombow markers. Again, I used a damp paint brush for shading rather than a blender pen. I'm really beginning to like that technique!

I cut a piece of vellum and stamped just the halo of the angel, then embossed it with JudiKins Detail Gold embossing powder. The vellum was adhered over the background cardstock layer which was Cuttlebugged (is that a word?) with the snowflakes folder.



I cut out the colored image, then cut the wing off the angel. It is adhered to the background layer. The rest of the angel is popped it up with Scotch foam tape for dimension.

All cardstock is from the Baby Blue Prismatics paper pack. To complete the card I added some Frosted Lace Stickles to the angel's wings. I try to do that last so I don't smudge it before it dries.

I don't think I quite have these stamps out of my system yet....so I know you will be seeing another one soon. :-)

Thanks for stopping by tonight. I sincerely appreciate your sweet comments.

Christmas Boot

I'll bet you're not surprised to see an Artful Stamper card tonight, are you? I couldn't stand NOT to ink up one of these babies! The tough part was deciding which one to ink first! LOL!

This stamp is called Christmas Boot .I just LOVE the image, and it really was a lot of fun to color. You KNOW how much I love to color!

I stamped it on watercolor paper using VersaMark ink, then embossed with JudiKins Detail Gold embossing powder. I stamped just the top portion of it again on a scrap of watercolor paper to have the leaves and candy cane so I could pop them up for added dimension.

The stamped image was colored with Tombow (water based) markers. Instead of using a blender pen, I moved and shaded the colors with a damp watercolor brush. I've never been a fan of those with the water barrel, so I use a regular watercolor brush and keep a paper towel nearby to control the amount of water on the brush.

To embellish the completed image I added Christmas Red Stickles to the berries and the center of the bow on the boot. I also put Gold Stickles on the candy cane stripes. The completed card measures 5" x 5".

I hope you all had a great weekend. Mine was virtually perfect since I got in some quality stamping time. It's amazing how happy that makes us, isn't it?

Thanks so much for stopping by.

The Artful Stamper - NEW at Stamper's Dream!

I am sooooo excited about the new stamp line at Stamper's Dream from The Artful Stamper . It is a Canadian company that has the MOST AWESOME images!

When I had my retail store in town, I carried this line, and all my customers just loved them....so I think you will too!

I would love to tell you that I whipped up these cards tonight when the shipment arrived, but it isn't so! LOL! These samples were sent to me by Larry, the owner of The Artful Stamper. Are they spectacular, or what?

The stamp used in the first sample is Downhill Frosty . Don't you just love that little guy?

The sample with this adorable little puppy uses I've Been Good Too! I love the way they popped up the puppy and the ornament to give it dimension. Sorry I couldn't get a better photo of that one. I will try again tomorrow.


This sample is absolutely gorgeous in real life. Their coloring is fabulous, and there is a lot of dimension since so much of the candy is popped up with foam tape. The stamp they used is called Ginger House .

I have to admit that the last one is one of my favorites. I have a real weakness for doves, and this one is at the stop of the greatness list! The stamp is called Season of Peace , and it's absolutely elegant! And as you probably know, elegant is my favorite kind of stamp!

I hope this has given you a fair assessment of how wonderful these stamps are, and how much potential they have.

And I almost forgot to tell you...the newly released Basic Grey Paper Pads also arrived today. I guess I got too excited about the new stamps, huh? LOL!

Thanks so much for stopping by....have a great weekend!

Christmas Candles

The beautiful stamp used for the main image on this card is Northwoods Three Candles, Holly and Pine . I stamped it on watercolor paper then colored with Tombow (water based) markers.

The sentiment is Christmas Flourish by Penny Black. Isn't that an elegant font? I stamped it using VersaMark ink, then embossed with JudiKins Detail Gold embossing powder.

The red cardstock is Prismatics Blush Red Dark , and the greens are from the Prismatics Sage paper pack. The Burgundy Velvet Ribbon is from May Arts.

I was so excited to use my new Martha Stewart Punch given to me by my dear friend Carol (carol_PA925) on SCS. Is she a sweetheart, or what? Thank you Carol....I LOVE the punch, and had looked for it everywhere! You are the sweetest and most wonderful friend to me! {{{HUGS to you!}}}

I hope your week is going well, and I hope you all have a fabulous Friday!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Solitaire

The main image for this card is Penny Black's Solitaire poinsettia stamp. It's a long time favorite of mine, and one I keep going back to every Christmas.

I colored on the rubber with Tombow (water based) markers, then spritzed with my JudiKins Extra Fine Mister .

The flower was stamped on Prism Frosted Pink cardstock from the Pink Prismatics paper pack. You can click on the photo <--- to see the beautiful texture of the cardstock. The sentiment is Merry Christmas from Impression Obsession. I stamped it with VersaMark ink, then embossed with JudiKins Detail Gold embossing powder.


The stamped sentiment was cut and embossed using Spellbinders Double Ended Tags . The ribbon is May Arts .

The light pink layer behind the main image is Iced Pink, also from the Prismatics Pink paper pack. The red cardstock is Blush Red Dark .

Once my card was put together I added Blush Pearls to each of the four corners. To add some sparkle I put Christmas Red stickles on the poinsettia, and Holly Stickles on portions of the leaves and stem.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

And A Partridge In A Pear Tree...fa la la

So....did that put you in the Christmas spirit?

I'm telling you...all these gorgeous new holiday images in the store are certainly helping me along. Of course, when it's time to actually start Christmas shopping I will probably get over it. I DO NOT enjoy shopping (unless it's for craft supplies)!

This new image from Impression Obsession is appropriately called Partridge in a Pear Tree .

I stamped it on watercolor paper using Onyx Black Versafine ink, then embossed with JudiKins Detail Clear embossing powder.

The image was colored with Tombow (water based) markers. I used my Stardust Clear pen to accent the stars, the bow on the pot, and the pears.

I have NO IDEA what color a partridge is, but mine is blue....just because I wanted a splash of color there! That's allowed, isn't it? LOL!

The green cardstock is Herbal Garden Prismatics, and the red is Classic Red Prismatic . I've gotta tell you, I am LOVING this Prism cardstock!

The ribbon is May Arts sheer with gold edge.

I hope you all had a great weekend. Thanks for stopping by!

An Apple A Day

I could hardly WAIT to ink up this new set from Impression Obsession! It's called An Apple A Day . I think it's an adorable set...and this card will be just perfect for my sweet little grands this Halloween!

I stamped the main image on watercolor paper using Onyx Black Versafine ink, then embossed with JudiKins Detail Clear embossing powder. The stamped image was colored with Tombow (water based) markers. I accented here and there with a Stardust Clear gelly roll pen for a little sparkle.



The sentiment was cut and framed with my circle Nestabilities.

After putting the card together I added a layer of JudiKins Diamond Glaze to the top layer of caramel on each apple to give it a glazed appearance. You MUST do this last so you don't smudge the Diamond Glaze while it's drying. (This is the voice of experience here!) LOL!

I added Christmas Red Stickles to the dots on the apple on the right. It added a bit more dimension and sparkle.

I hope you all had a fabulous Friday, and are planning a wonderful weekend.

Thanks again for stopping by!

NEW RUBBAH!

The new Impression Obsession order FINALLY arrived! These are a few of my new favorites, and I restocked some of our OLD favorites, too! You can find them all HERE .

Sorry, I know this is short and to the point, but that's all you wanted to know anyway, right? LOL!

Thanks for stopping by.

Peas On Earth...

I just adore this cute new stamp from Penny Black! It's appropriately called World Peas .

I stamped the image on watercolor paper using Onyx Black Versafine Ink , then embossed with JudiKins Detail Clear embossing powder.

The stamped image was colored with Tombow (water based) markers and shading was done with a blender pen. To embellish, I added a touch of White Liquid Applique to the caps and used my Stardust Gelly Roll Pen to add some accents.


The inspiration for this layout is last week's sketch challenge from SCS (SC188).

The blue paper is Prism Baby Blue Dark , and the green cardstock is Prism Frosted Kiwi . Be sure to note the beautiful texture of the Prismatics cardstock....it's simply gorgeous!

To embellish, I added a few Kaiser Craft Red Rhinestones and a red bow.

I hope you are all having a great week! Thanks so much for stopping by.

Merry ChrisMoose

Yes...I am STILL working on getting my Christmas card stash going! And I love, love, LOVE this new image from Stampendous! It's called Merry ChrisMoose ! Isn't it adorable?

I stamped the image on watercolor paper using Onyx Black Versafine ink, then embossed with JudiKins Detail Clear embossing powder.

The image was colored with Tombow (water based) markers and I used a blender pen for shading.

Just for fun, the pine trees in the background were freehanded with Tombow markers in shades of green and brown. I used a White Opaque Pen from Ranger to highlight the trees, as well as my Stardust Gelly Roll Pen . The ornaments and "Merry ChrisMoose" were highlighted with the Stardust Gelly Roll pen as well.

The embellishment is a Heidi Swapp Snowflake . I added Stickles Glitter Glue to it in order to give it a little sparkle. The rhinestone in the center is a Kaiser Craft Red Rhinestone . I LOVE those new rhinestones and pearls! You can find them in the store HERE .

The designer paper is from the Basic Grey Fruitcake collection.

Thanks to each of you for stopping by tonight!

Winter Glitter

Yes, I know it's 100+ degrees outside, and it hardly seems like the time to think about Christmas cards! But ladies (and gents), it IS time to get started! :-)

This image is from the new Penny Black Christmas collection, and it's called Winter Glitter .

I stamped it on watercolor paper using VersaMark , then embossed with JudiKins Detail Gold embossing powder.

The stamped image was colored using Tombow (water based) markers. After coloring, I added Christmas Red , and Holly Stickles.


The designer paper is from the Basic Grey Fruitcake collection. I used Metallic Mini Brads on each of the four corners to embellish.

So sorry for the photo. It's cloudy and rainy here this afternoon, so there is no sunlight. This is the best I could do after taking about 20 photos.

I hope you all have had a great weekend. It WAS short, wasn't it?

Thanks for stopping by. I will be back soon with something new!

New Stamps....and Cuttlebug

I know I haven't posted much this week. But I've been SUPER busy with new things for the store.

Some of the Cuttlebug folders arrived. My supplier hopes that the rest of them will ship next week. I hope so too!

I simply LOVE every stamp in the Penny Black shipment I received this week! This one is called Winter Glitter . I have plans for this one, indeed!
The deer stamp is called Gathering . It would be perfect for masculine cards as well as traditional cards.
This stamp is called Nature's Dance . Can you see the possibilities for this stamp? Isn't it beautiful?
And we had to have a few whimsical holiday stamps. This one is called World Peas . How adorable is that? There are two other Christmas Peas stamps listed in the store.
I wanted to highlight just a few of the new ones, but there are many others from the new release in the store.

In addition to Penny Black and Cuttlebug folders I also received the new My Favorite Things stamps this week. This one is Monster Squad . I have seen some really adorable samples made with this set by the MFT design team.

I hope you're all having a fabulous Friday! I will be back soon with a card for you.

Thanks for stopping by!

Fluffles Gift

This little Fluffles card was inspired by one I saw in the new Stampendous catalog.

The main image is Fluffles Gift . I stamped this cute little critter on watercolor paper using Onyx Black Versafine ink, then embossed with JudiKins Detail Clear embossing powder.

The stamped image was colored with Tombow (water based) markers in colors to match the designer paper. I used my square Nestabilities to cut and frame the image.



The sentiment, also from Stampendous, is called Thank You Gift . It was stamped on the reverse side of my designer paper which was used for the main panel. It's from the Memory Box Homespun paper collection.

The 3/8" satin ribbon is by May Arts .

One of the things I love so much about these stamps is that they could be used for so many occasions. Change the palette to Christmas colors, and it's the perfect Thank You for a Christmas gift!

I have sooooo many new things already ordered for the store, and some of them should be here very soon. I will keep you posted as to their arrival.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

A Glorious Day - FS 77

I DO love it when I can find the time to play along with the Featured Stamper challenge on Sunday! And I did just that today!

Today's featured stamper is Julia aka artystamper . She does such beautiful work, and there are so, so many gorgeous cards in her gallery. The one I chose to CASE is HERE .

I changed the paper and the stamps, but used Julia's inspiration and the coaster frame concept and tutorial from Amy Rysavy at Prairie Paper & Ink . The tutorial is perfectly clear, and I had no problem at all following Amy's instructions. I will admit that using the Mono Multi liquid glue gives you a huge advantage since you can wiggle the paper around to fit before it dries!

The stamp is Hope Your Day from Wordsworth. I stamped it using VersaMark ink, then embossed with JudiKins Malachite embossing powder. I wish my photo was better so you could see the gorgeous specs of copper in this ep.

The butterflies are Designer Butterflies from Hero Arts. I borrowed this technique from my friend Laurie . They are stamped on vellum, embossed with the same Malachite Embossing Powder , then cut out. They are adhered only in the center so the wings can have dimension.

The designer paper is from the Basic Grey Perhaps collection.

I have some things to do for the store today, but hope to get in a little more stamping time. (Fingers crossed!) Thanks for stopping by. I sincerely appreciate each and every one of you!

Red Roses

I have to precede this post by saying this card is sooooo not my style! But since I made it, I guess I really shouldn't say that, huh? LOL!

The image is a new one from Hero Arts called Garden Roses .

I stamped it on watercolor paper using Onyx Black Versafine ink, then embossed with JudiKins Detail Clear embossing powder.
The stamped image was colored with Tombow (water based) markers. I did the shading using a blender pen.

The yellow embellishment on the left side is Bumblebee Paper Frills . They are great decorative borders in 12" strips. Great for adding a little touch of color here and there!

The red cardstock is Classic Red Prismatic by Prism Papers. The texture on these papers is simply fabulous, and the colors are so rich!

To complete the card I used three Robin's Nest Dew drops from the Flame bottle. The ribbon is May Arts Yellow 3/4" Grosgrain .

The Hero Arts sale continues at Stamper's Dream tomorrow. ALL Hero Arts stamps are on sale for 20% off! Even the Hero Arts stamps that are on sale will be discounted an additional 20% if you use coupon code MY HERO. The sale ends Sunday night, so don't delay!

Thanks for stopping by. I hope to be back tomorrow with something new!

SALE at StampersDream.com

We're having a sale at Stamper's Dream ! Saturday (August 2) and Sunday (August 3) ALL Hero Arts stamps are 20% off with coupon code MYHERO. Even the Hero Arts stamps that are marked down will receive the 20% discount with coupon code MYHERO! What a deal that is! So be sure not to miss the bargains starting tomorrow, August 2.

I whipped up this card a while back and forgot to post it! Honestly, I have no idea how that happens. I get to stamp so little these days that you'd think I could remember making a card!

I used the Hero Arts Monogram Alphabet for the M. I really love that font! And I love the fact that this set comes with several shapes to use for the outside of the monogrammed letter so you can make many different styles.

The background is JudiKins Baroque Leaves stamped in white pigment ink. Of course, that stamp was in stock when I made the card....but I'm temporarily out of it just now.

It's a quick and easy card, and just perfect for a quick note to a friend.

Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you have a fabulous weekend!