Elsie in New York

I got a couple of these really cute lady buttons from Coffee Break Designs--via Retro Cafe Art Gallery but could not for the life of me figure out what to do with them. And then was flipping through an old book and found a story titled "Elsie in New York" and I had an idea. So I made this card for my friend Sarah, who is leaving for New York in a few weeks.
Then, still feeling inspired, I pulled out my sewing machine and made this:

I am totally digging these buttons!

Design Team Work

I've been busy doing more design team work for Retro Cafe Art Gallery today. I made these three cards with new collage images. I am just in love with this little girl! This first one I used a acrylic paint on the "adore" stamp. (Sorry, it's clear acrylic, and I don't remember who made it.) The parenthesis are from a punch that I bought a Archivers.
More Punches for the second card. The Happy is actually one big stamp by Hero Arts that I cut apart. The Swirls are by autumn leaves (Recognize these Bev??) and the text is by Stampington.
Can you tell I was in a mood to use my punches?? I made the buttons on the flowers with a little alcohol ink. The swirls are by inkadinkado, and the Italian text is by Hampton Art Stamps.

A couple more ink blending cars

I made a couple more ink blending tool cards (to see my demo click here). Both of the stamps are by Paperbag studios. The first card I blended chalk ink in three different colors. Instead of leaving the center clear, I worked straight across. I like the look of the chalk inks, but it does lacks the pop of the distress inks.
For this one I used pink distress inks and followed the same pattern I did in the demo, but before I attached the center picture, I spritzed the card with some water to create some spots. If you look closely, you can see them.

Ink Blending Tool How-To

Here is my promised ink blending tutorial.
I have to say that when Inkessentails came out with the blending tool, my response was a not so enthusiastic "eh." I had ink "daubers" and didn't really see the point of buying yet another one. But then, I saw a sample of work that had been done with it and I went from "eh" to "oh my!" It's now become one of my favorite tools.
Here's the supply list for this project: three colors of ink, one of which should be light, one dark and one brown or black (I am using distress inks: tea dye, pine needles and walnut stain) ink blending tool and three blending foams (these are re-usable and last a really long time so don't start stressing about the cost of buying a ton of these little foams), something to protect your work surface, your inking surface and stamps.

Start with your lightest color and ink up your foam using a pouncing motion (the foam should be on the applicator, I know that sounds like a silly reminder, but I've actually forgotten to put it on a couple of times.)

Starting off of the paper, drag the blending in small circles onto the paper. You want to use a light touch and then press harder as needed. Remember, it's easy to add color, impossible to subtract!

Do this all around the edges of the card leaving the middle circle empty. This provides a nice visual focal point and gives it a little pop.

Now, using the same off the paper technique do the same with the darker color (remember to change your foam before you start!) You only want to come in a little, leaving the lighter color still showing.

Now take your dark brown or black and ink-up a new foam. Instead of working in circles this time, place the blender just on the edge of the paper and pull back off onto your craft mat/work surface protector. You can also pick the paper up and swipe the edge with the color.

Now, you're ready to add some stamps. I like to do a couple of stamps around the outside leaving the inside blank for the focal stamp.

Then, I stamp on a separate piece of paper and using the lightest color ink it as in step one, and then using the brown/black ink the edges. This echos what's going on the card and helps the image to feel like it belongs. You can always skip this and just stamp right into the center, but I like the look of the third image on top.

Then attach to your card and you're all finished!

The stamps I used here were by paper bag studios (the girls and the script) and inkadinkado for the swirls.
If you have any questions about the technique, or if one of my steps wasn't clear, please feel free to email me.

Twinkling H20s

I am going to be teaching a class next month on twinkling h20s at Wishful Thinking, which I do design team work for. Here are my four samples of the techniques I'll be teaching. Unfortunately, I am having problems with my scanner--again, sign--so you'll have to make do with my not-so-good photos. The techniques I'll be teaching are: basic painting, resist painting, faux texture and faux batik. (I might actually add another technique, but I'm not sure yet. I don't want to over-load the class.) Here they are in that order.