Stamp Saturday

My mom and I spent time on Saturday making some stamps. A Flickr friend had mentioned I should try to create some stamps as comment on a drawing I posted..so I thought I would give it a try.

Mom had been doing some carving on her own prior and introduced me to the dollar store eraser. They work great and carving them is wonderful!

I also brought along a carving block I bought online ($). I cut the gingko-type leaf with that one. The blue/white ones are the eraser. I made  few more but will post those another day as I didn't take photos of them. I did take some photos of Mom's:

Barb at work



colored erasers

When we got back from my parents, my son and I were greeted by this beauty -

This plant sits right along the stone wall that our driveway runs against.

 Its just amazing, the flowers are as big as lunch plates!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Be You

ICAD #11

I got back from my meeting tonight so late.

While driving home I realize how silly I am with my pronouncements sometimes:)

Fresh off of announcing I'll be doing acrylics this week, here I am with a stamped index card.

Too much to do today and no time for opening paints and spreading out. Ce la vie.

There were a few comments about my Sunday Sketch.

 I got that Brush Tub at Blicks for about $7 or $8. 

I think they carry it at Pearl as well.

 I don't remember seeing it at Michaels but that doesn't mean it isn't there.

Well Monday is over, just Tues and Wed to get on with. Then I can deal till Monday.

Good night:)

Sunday Fun

What a super gorgeous weekend we had here in New York. The weather was just amazing! The ride upstate was beautiful, its so lovely and bucolic up there. Every where you look you want to photograph because its so lush and green. On the way home, we stopped at a greenhouse that specializes in orchids. I picked up a yellowy pinky phalenopsis, to go along with my white-burgandy one the boys got me on Mother's Day. I plan on painting one or both soon before I kill them.

I went to pick up some things at Blick today. I love that damn place:) I bought some new brushes, more Microns :D and some other goodies, spending some birthday cash I received. I came home and was meaning to paint but started collaging and stamping.

 I didn't get a single portrait done this weekend, oh well:) Back to it tomorrow.

Here are some photos of what I worked on today, what fun I had!





I love making these tags. I have to find a craft I can utilize them for, all I can think of using them for is scrapping and adding to gifts when I wrap them.



I decorated some brown Moleskine sketch books I bought at Blicks with my homemade stamps





I think I like this one best:)

The cover of this journal below has this image I really like.

It shows two boatsmen along the shore in this Japanes illustration.

This bit of an image is from a brochure I got at the mall at the Teavana store.

I knew it would come in handy!

This is the front of a mini journal that I collaged,
 the inside papers are not added yet.
More work needed on this!

Here is another journal I started a few weeks back by paper-ing it up.

Today Iadded all the details to the cover.

This a Ronzoni Ziti box, you can see the 'window' right under the bird and top purple swirl. Peeking through is the little envelope I made for the back of the journal. Almost done I have to addthe paper inside still.

I like the scrap papers I used on this. I forget the brand but its so nice.

A little spot to tuck in notes or fortunes.

I am still on a bird kick. They are so popular, every where you turn around there is a bird on something LOL!

Take good care of yourself and I hope you had a lovely weekend!

Scrapping Sunday

I was able to get some Christmas cards done this weekend:)

I worked on the pieces this week in between the raindrops so that made it so easy to assemble and add the extra touches this weekend.

The sparkles have been a challenge and I learned the hard way that I have to spray a fixative on them RIGHT AWAY. 

 Because handling them to chalk and glue leaves you open to messing them up! I use some lovely ribbon I got in a recent swap and, of course, used paper from my stash:)

 I have a few more to make....will see what more I can fit into this day.

  I've got more to do into the evening! I have to make a gift for our Art(that matters) holiday party.I hope everyone has a very happy Sunday!



Paper Daze and White Lights

So I've put my brushes and pens down for a bit. Work is getting super busy now that the year is ending. Its hard to focus on being creative for long periods of time. Once upon a time I was a rabid scrapbooker and I am left with a huge box of papers and more ephemera to know what to do with. I can open a shop! I am seriously in love with paper and literally have to hold back when I see scrapbook paper or any other for that matter. I have been really pretty good these past few years with the paper hoarding..So during the holidays I try to make a few cards for people. I don't do everyone on my list but try to do ten or so.So I'm doing little things here and there. I take a quick 5 minute break and punch some snowflakes here, stamp and glitter reindeer there.  I broke down this past weekend and got this GREAT stamp and glitter kit at Michaels 50% off. So it worked out to be $10. A great deal right? Well then I discover shortly after that I won a scrapbooking basket at a church fair. It was an auction and I only put one ticket it! My scrapbook store grows!

My winning basket!

Once I've completed some  I'll post my cards here after I am done. I'll probably put some together tomorrow.
I did get one of my new ATCs in the mail. I swapped with jk bees and I love it!

thanks Janet!

I think the dots are terrific. They looks so great against the dark background, reminding me of lights. I saw lots of twinkling ones on my walk this evenig. My husband has been giving Einstein nightly walks for the past few weeks I do the mornings now...I took him for a walk tonight and it was cold but clear and beautiful. Everyone has their decorations up and on:) This time of year is so nice....

 

they're waiting:)

Good night!

FranT

AEDM Day 19 ~ Today is the Day

It certainly is! It's 9:30 now and getting on my way to Suffolk to hit some holiday fairs. I have my day's art work done and I feel so organized! I have gotten to my third page in my handmade journal! Plugging along here:))Here are some of my handmade lino stamps. I have to ask Santa for some new stamp pads this year. Right now I am working with chalk pads, which are okay but I would like to get some nice juicy new stamp pads with cool colors. Goes on the dream list.

The sun is shining, its not too cold and leaves are falling as I type this. I think I am over my spell of insomnia and I am so delighted...fingers crossed:) Hope everyone is having a wonderful Saturday, enjoy the day!

It Started With a Paper Swap

I recently signed up for a paperswap and I was paired up with a super nice lady. When we emailed one another for our addresses, we asked each other if they wanted something special, that perhaps the other couldn't get in their own country. She lives in Poland and said that she really wanted mailing tags and elastic thread. So I went to Staples and found these cool tags. I have to say that I have seen alot of crafty tags made in the past but never really thought about using them. Well I bought a big package and will send half to my new friend and I'm keeping the others. So now I have fifty tags. So I got to work trying them out :)

So I went to Michaels and for $1 a piece I bought these fantastic Studio G chalks.

I had so much fun the other night making these tags. I make my own stamps from Speedy Carve Blocks . I'll use an Xacto blade or a lino cutter to cut out the design and I keep them all in a handy Ikea cannister. I stamped three tags so far and will work on more this weekend. I have to get more of these chalks...just because. The colors are so bright and addicting!

So I hope to have some more sisters for these three coming soon. I want to work on tags for Christmas gifts. That is going to be so much fun to do and what great way for me to de-stress after a long week.

Give it a try, its not too expensive and you have these little canvases that allow you create a small work of art:) Voilà!

stamp binge

I found a terrific blog called Elvie Studio and the artwork is wonderful! There is a little video on the side bar about cutting a lino. I like it so much so that it inspired me to dig out some Speedball lino/pink rubber out and start working! Its been a while and I forgot how much I love linocutting. A great reminder:)

Some New Cards and Sunday News

I made up some additional Valentine's Day cards (and one thank you). I have a nice LOVE stamp that I used a couple of different times. The flower I used in the green thank you card is from Stampin' Up that I bought from Barbara/Marji. This is a great way to wind down and get creative with quick results.

Valentine's Day cards

Thank You card

I am going to start painting again. I just joined the South Lake Art League (http://www.southlakeartleague.com/) so I'll need to start getting out the brushes again. There is going to be a photography show at the League this week and I'll be helping with hanging the show. The woman arranging that told me that there were quite a bit of entries. So, I am looking forward to seeing the photos that are entered.

South Lake Art League

After church today Joey and I went to the farmers market with Hope, Rick and the kids. We stopped in at Sugar Mama's Sweet Shop. Boy, they have such delicious cupcakes. I took home a Key Lime cupcake. Joey and the girls ate theirs right there. I hope they have great success, their treats are so good! Later, Joey and I went and picked up his friend Tony and I took the two of them to the lake. Joey and Tony have such a great time together and Tony is such a nice kid, I am so glad Joey has such a good friend in him.

Downtown Farmer's Market