AWESOME

Here's a quick birthday card I made using Cas-ual Fridays Rad stamp set, Stampers Anonymous Bitty Grunge set and Impression Obsession Circle Swirls Cover-a-Card stamp. I stamped the sentiment using Memento Tuxedo Black ink. To create the sunburst, I inked the Bitty Grunge stamp with Memento Tangelo ink and then Lady Bug ink around the edges. Sparkle was added using a Sakura Gelly Roll pen. The swirl background was stamped using Tangelo ink.

I made this card for my Dad's birthday. While collecting links for the stamps used, I discovered the theme of this week's Cas-ual Fridays Challenge: Birthday Bash. CFC99 is all about creating a CAS birthday card. You have until May 1st to play along. Check it out. The design team has created some incredible inspiration for this challenge.

Thanks for visiting. I hope your day is AWESOME!

Something New

I love Donna Downey and her art. But who doesn't? Right? I've never met her but I can just tell she's the kind of person who gives freely of her knowledge. Her passion and enthusiasm for art are so contagious. When watching her videos, she makes you feel like you too could pick up a brush and create something wonderful.

Recently, I discovered that she offers a monthly online canvas class and decided to sign up. While waiting for some supplies to arrive, I practiced what I learned from the class video on these tiny 3-1/2" x 2-1/2" canvases.

I started by covering the canvases with a base coat of acrylic paint. It was then time to add texture. Donna recommended using very common scrapbooking supplies but when I grabbed mine, I discovered they were so old they couldn't be used. Nope, I'm not going to tell you the supply. Spend the $25. You'll be so glad you did. Sitting on my workspace was a bunch of Stampendous Essentials (Color Fragments, Mica and Crushed Glass Glitter). Essentials add delicious texture to projects and are available in a wide range of amazing colors. For this project, the color wasn't important as I just wanted the texture so I grabbed what was sitting there and embedded them into the paint. It was simple. I just brushed on Gel Matte Medium where I wanted the texture and while wet, sprinkled on the Essentials. It's important to let this dry completely. I then added more paint, covering the embedded fragments and glitter. Next, I grabbed a Martha Stewart Home Decor stencil (you can find these at Michaels but any stencil will do) and my Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pens. I used the white Pitt Pen to get the basic design onto each canvas and added color after the white had dried.


Here are some closeups of the texture created by the Stampendous Essentials. I love the look and texture so much, I am going to give it a try on something bigger. Donna Downey has her own line of stencils. I'm thinking creating something with her Hollyhocks stencil would make me very happy so stay tuned.


I can't get over how creating these three little canvases made me feel. I encourage you to visit Donna's Blog and try an online class or two. The joy you feel is cleansing. Now onto the real class assignment.

Thanks for visiting. I am so thankful for your comments.

Chick Tower

Here's a quick card created with the Chick Tower image by Hambo Stamps. I just love this stamp. Actually, I love all Hambo stamps, great quality, cute designs. The paper is My Mind's Eye "Hip-Hooray"

Thanks for visiting. Have a great day!

Butterfly Lamp

Something new today (at least to me)...the Paper Fusion Creative Lamp kit. While at Dick Blick's, I came across these kits and had to try making one. These kits scream Stampendous Jumbo Cling stamps. I decided to use the Butterfly Trio.


I stamped the butterflies on the included panels, using Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black ink.


After coloring the butterflies with my Copic Markers, I stamped the Stampendous Music Score background in the whitespace. I used Tsukineko VersaMark Dazzle in Frost to give it a little sparkle and then spritzed the panels with Tsukineko Goosebumps.


I then inked the panels with Memento Summer Sky to bring out the Music Score image and the Goosebumps. I also stamped a flourish from the Stampendous Daisy Thanks set, also with the Summer Sky ink.


The lamp was easy to assemble. If I were to make another one, I would sand the frame and give it a gloss coat before putting it altogether but this was a fun project. Because these kits come in different sizes, I see a cluster of them on a side table, maybe with a different Stampendous Jumbo flower on each one.



Thanks for visiting!