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!