When Life Gives You Lemons
5:43 PM Posted In When Life Gives You Lemons Edit This 3 Comments »
Background is "Oil Pastel and Gesso" technique (for info, please visit www.techniquejunkies.com) Stamps by DRS Designs Basic stamping and lemons (main images) have crystal effects over them. I applied CE to the lemons and the shot glass and let it dry. Then went back and applied crystal effects to the salt shaker and sprinkled multi colored prisma glitter to make it look more like salt. Ribbon is from Michael's. Lemon buttons from www.shellysbuttonsandmore.com
Nugget Bunnies
8:39 PM Posted In Nugget Bunnies Edit This 7 Comments »Meet the Nugget Bunnies just in time for Easter! Make your own by following this easy "recipe".
Bunny's bodies are Hershey's Nuggets. Cover the nugget with a stamped/decorated adhesive label. I used a 1" X 3" Avery label. Wrap the label around the nugget. The stamps for both the female and male bunny's heads are from The Angel Company. This stamp set RETIRED a few years ago and is no longer available. However, any stamp will suffice as long as it is in proportion to the size of the candy nugget. The head is attached with a piece of double sided tape. Pom poms are from WalMart or Michael's~they are also attached with double sided tape. Hippity Hoppity Happy Easter!!
3-D Safari
9:07 AM Posted In 3-D Safari Edit This 48 Comments »These 3-D safari cards are made from Taylored Artwork stamps. I taught this class at StampWorks, a wonderful local stamp store in Chandler, AZ and had the distinct honor of meeting Jim Taylor, the artist behind the images and also the owner of Taylored Artwork. Quite by accident, he came to the store while my class was in session. We had a great time in the class and it became even more fantastic when Mr. Taylor brought in a huge basket of over 100.00 worth of Taylored Artwork stamps that we GAVE AWAY in a drawing. One stamper went home VERY happy! Thank you Jim Taylor!!!
Now "how to": Images were stamped multiple times (Marvy Matchables black ink) then cut out and layered. Some layered pieces were molded and shaped by simply pulling the piece between my thumbnail and middle finger nail; the cardstock begins to curl with each pull. The pieces were attached with foam mounting tape to give them dimension. Colored with Prismacolor pencils and blended with Gamsol blending fluid. Backgrounds were made with cuttlebug embossing folders. NOTE: The horizontal lines on the base cardstock of the elephant card were made with a Scor-Pal www.scor-pal.com(my newest and now favorite tool!!).
At this time, I'm unable to locate a website for Taylored Artwork (I believe they no longer have one). His fabulous stamp line is avaiable from StampWorks 480-899-5958.
Thanks for looking!
Bad Hair Day
4:37 PM Posted In Bad Hair Day Edit This 7 Comments »The next time you think you're having a bad hair day, think of this poor girl!! She's from I Brake For Stamps(The Merry Stamper line). The image is stamped with Memories black ink and colored with a paint brush and Marvy Matchable ink. I punched two 1/8" holes near the hairline and threaded a 1 1/2" length of yarn into each of the holes (Lion brand "Homespun" from Michael's or WalMart) and anchored them on the backside of the cardstock with scotch tape. Then, I took my stylus and made the hair by doing the following: Beginning at the rootline of the hair, I inserted the tip of my stylus between the plys of yarn and pulled it through the plys to the opposite end. I repeated this several times until I frayed both strands of yarn and turned them into wild hair. The teeny strands of string that hold the yarn together can be easily removed with your fingers, although it's not necessary. I placed a small amount of adhesive under the yarn "hair" to tame it a bit and to hold it in place. The background of this card is done with a Cuttlebug folder. Felt rick rack is from WalMart. Corner punches from Stampin'Up
Grannies Gone Wild
8:26 PM Posted In Grannies Gone Wild Edit This 5 Comments »I Brake For Stamps has so many of these adorable images I never seem to be able to stop creating fun cards with them! Meet Granny, she's Gone Wild!! (Now that I think of it, maybe I DID see her in one of those videos~!!). So fun! Her hair is done with Liquid Applique which was applied and then heated with a heat tool. Strands of beads are from JoAnn's and the image was painted with Stampin' Up! markers. Enjoy!!
Martinis and Olives
7:44 PM Posted In Martinis and Olives Edit This 1 Comment »I Brake For Stamps has turned me into an embellishing maniac with these images. I am having so much fun with these girls. You can find these on the IBFS website under one of their many companies, "The Merry Stamper". There is no end to the possibilites when it comes to embellishing these ladies! I thought this young lady was in desperate need of an olive or two for her martini so I did my part and made a couple for her. This image was colored with Marvy Inks and I added some sparkle to her drink with a 2-way glue pen and some glitter. The olives were made from circle punches and glued onto a round tooth pick. Cheers!! (Be sure to click on the photo for a larger version and you can really enjoy the bling on her drink!)
Tulle Lady
9:04 PM Posted In Tulle Lady Edit This 2 Comments »A fun and fabulous "I Brake For Stamps" image(www.ibrakeforstamps.com). I watercolored the image with Marvy Ink Pads and a paint brush. These stamps just BEG for embellishments and I did my best to due them justice. This lady has a small piece of tulle wrapped around her hips~I cut small slits alongside of the image and thredded it through each side and tied it in the front! Easy peasy. The strand of beads are from a.muse~I purchased them at Red Rubber Stamps in Glendale, AZ (602-298-8600). They are so cool because although they are individual colored rhinestones, they peel off in a strip making them SO easy to stick onto a small image like you see here. Silver and white cardstock is embossed with Cuttlebug folders and the rhinestone brads from Stampin' Up!
Duck Tape
4:49 PM Posted In Duck Tape Edit ThisMan's best friend
For years without fail
Has had four legs
Has had four legs
A snout and a tail
All this has changed
To a new form and shape
Now his best friend
Is a roll of duct tape
To a new form and shape
Now his best friend
Is a roll of duct tape
I just loved the poem and ordered it from http://www.drs-designs.com Lots of other terrific stamps there too. I don't know who writes the poetry/greetings that they carry but WOW-ZA! Hallmark should be shaking in their boots! It's incredible stuff.
I colored the images, layered them onto some silver veined leatherette cardstock that I found on the floor in my step-dad's print shop many years ago (a stamper can't be TOO proud), added another layer of black and that's mounted onto some golden cardstock from my paper stash. The corners are paint chips that were punched with the Stampin' Up! corner punch and pierced with a push pin.
And to tie this work of art together, a beloved piece of REAL duct tape! I hope you enjoy!!
Jungle Parrots
9:12 PM Posted In Jungle Parrots Edit ThisImage is "I Brake For Stamps" http://www.ibrakeforstamps.com/
Technique (for coloring the image) is something I learned at http://www.techniquejunkies.com/
I actually used two different stamps, both from I Brake For Stamps.
I stamped the image twice~my first image became the main one. The second image I used to cut up and add to the lower right hand corner of the card. The image at the upper left hand corner of the card was borrowed from another great I Brake For Stamps image~it's part of a gorgeous stamp featuring 3 cockatoos sitting on a branch in a similar jungle setting. It was fun to combine the two and I thought this was a nice way to get extra mileage out of two stamps!
I poked the holes with a push pin and used an awesome tool called a Fiber Friend from Timeless Touches. It's intended for use with fibers and stitching etc but I find it incredible for this use here. It's a plastic ruler with lots of great marks and holes that you can poke through. I like it for larger format cards like this one (5 1/2" X 6") because the ruler is about 12" long. A Google search will tell you who carries and sells them.
Enjoy!
Technique (for coloring the image) is something I learned at http://www.techniquejunkies.com/
I actually used two different stamps, both from I Brake For Stamps.
I stamped the image twice~my first image became the main one. The second image I used to cut up and add to the lower right hand corner of the card. The image at the upper left hand corner of the card was borrowed from another great I Brake For Stamps image~it's part of a gorgeous stamp featuring 3 cockatoos sitting on a branch in a similar jungle setting. It was fun to combine the two and I thought this was a nice way to get extra mileage out of two stamps!
I poked the holes with a push pin and used an awesome tool called a Fiber Friend from Timeless Touches. It's intended for use with fibers and stitching etc but I find it incredible for this use here. It's a plastic ruler with lots of great marks and holes that you can poke through. I like it for larger format cards like this one (5 1/2" X 6") because the ruler is about 12" long. A Google search will tell you who carries and sells them.
Enjoy!
Lace Dragonfly
8:25 PM Edit ThisBackground paper is from Michael's
Mulberry papers (both blue and white) is from local art supply store
Cardstock is Bazzill Basics
Corner embellishment is Cuttlebug die from silver cardstock
Ribbon is from Michael's
Silver string is Stampin' Up!
Oval punches are Stampin' Up!
Dragonfly image and text: Yvonne Albritton Designs http://www.yvonnealbritton.com/
I watercolored the blue mulberry paper a bit on the edges. I used a Stampin' Up! aqua painter and SU Night of Navy ink. I created the blue splatters with a children's Blo Pen that I bought at Michaels a long time ago. I stitched the edge of the background paper with my Janome Sew Mini Sewing Machine. After I handcut the dragonfly, I gently bent the wings upward and then pulled outward by holding the wing between my thumbnail and my middle finger to get them to arch and bend. Realistic looking!
Faux Pink Denim
8:25 AM Posted In Faux Pink Denim Edit This"Faux Denim" is what the background is called on this card. I learned the technique here: http://www.techniquejunkies.com/. It's a subscriber type group~WELL worth the few dollars it costs per month to join. I've been a member for about 5 or 6 years now and I just LOVE it!! The vellum heart was traced from a Paper Zone Template and cut out. I folded the flaps and secured them with Stampin' Up brads. The pink heart image was stamped with VersaMark ink onto pink cardstock, embossed with white EP, and colored (inside area) with a pink marker. I added some pink rhinestones from WalMart, cut it out and inserted it into the vellum pocket. The corners are die cuts from my Cuttlebug collection and the ribbon is from Michael's. The stitched edge was done on my Janome Sew Mini sewing machine. Enjoy!!

