day 4 - stampscapes - stippling

I love stampscapes and glossy paper. Its sooo easy even I can make it look good. First stamp with stayzo onto glossy paper and let sit a minute or two to dry.

I use stipple brushes and marvy ink pads. I don't have a huge amount of either but enough to do most anything. I recommend 3 shades of blue, orange to red, some green, a yellow, a brown and a couple purples. I have one blue brush, one red, one orange, one yellow, one green, one brown, one purple and thats really about it. Here I added a bit of brown and green to the trees and cabin. and a tad to the water


then I start with the lightest shade of blue I used Salvia Blue. stippling all over the bottom leaving just a little lighter in the middle where the cabins light would go.








then a little darker shade of blue Lt Blue marvy here.











Last shade of blue doing as in the first step leaving a little white. This blue is Prussian blue. One of my favorite. these colors will work for a sky as well.









Then comes the sky. Again starting with the lightest color Orange here. Remember nature is not perfect so your color should not be solid color either









Then the next shade this color makes a great fire color tooTerra cotta.













Last shade I used Red.











Now I did not do more pictures for all the extras after this. I added a branch to make it look far away and a couple birds and animals for depth. I added a little white gel pen to the window. Then layered on black and then rust.

So now is your turn make a comment to possibly win this card then come back tomorrow night (yes I upload at night not in the daytime) to see if you are the winner.

Here is the list of the winners so far including the newest winner from day 3. send me an email with your name and address so I can get this off to you. I will put a * by your name when I have it so you know for sure I have it.

Day 1 - chef card - Kellys Artistic Journaling
day 2 - Chick card - Punkscrap
day 3 - Lenore - Dolly Mama
day 4???? could be you

day 3 - watercolor crayons and a cricut

Well I got a cricut for christmas and just had to use it. I only have the basic images but it worked for this card just great. the image is a dolly mama by Stamps Happen. stamped onto watercolor paper and then using the crayons I picked up the color with my waterbrush. LOVE that tool.




I goobered and missed a bit with the black and it got on the paper for the first image I had to distress the sides. this second image is the one I am using to make this blog candy with needs a little touch up I see but wanted to get this posted tonight. the watercolor paper is really a key to this. Plus I spent way to much time figuring out my new tripod and lights to get this picture taken so its not perfect either. I did do an image on regular paper and it was really blah and boring.

So same rules post a comment and a winner will be picked

winners?? oh you want to know about day one and two I bet well here you go.
send me an email at stampmouse@comcast.net with your name and address and when the 12 days are done (or sooner if possible) it will be on its it way to you. All I ask is that you post an email or a note on your blog that you got it.

Day one Kelly's artistic Journaling won the viola chief card
day two Punkscrap won the chick card

who will be next?? find out tomorrow

2nd day of christmas - paper piercing

ok so 1 and 2 days of christmas are being posted the same day because my blogger account decided to lose the others in internet cyber space.
All stamps are by Penguin pants rubber stamps. A fairly new company with some awesome stuff. stamp the chickens then add a little thyme (stampin up) and bashful blue sponged for ground and sky. stamp the chicken wire with silver encore and trim.



mount on slightly larger always artichoke and then paper pierce . I love the Stampin up tool kit for this. pretty easy though taking the picture one handed was tough. add the white gel pen to make it look like stitching mount onto layers and thats about it. pretty easy but it gives a nice look and feel to it.

same rules as the first, which please see that when you see this. I will pick one winner from each day to get the finished card. I will probably mail them all out at once near the end of the 12 days.

1st day of christmas - watercolor w/markers

ok lets try this again. Seems my saved posts when I go to publish them disappear into lala land. so a smaller version of what I had. this is the viola chef done on watercolor paper. Using stampin up markers and a watercolor brush. You outline in the dark areas and then just pull the colors into the other areas. you can use the brush to take away and add more intense colors as you choose.
work in small areas at a time if possible. you can add alittle more color if you think it needs it to the edges or using a piece of plastic scribble the pen on there and then dip the waterbrush in it.




ok so I will pick a winner from all the comments tomorrow on this and the 2nd day of christmas as this didn't post propertly. GRRRRRRRRRRRRR

opps

ok don't know what happen to day one but I amnot seeing it here. will have to fix when I get home tonight

Blog Candy coming with the 12 days of christmas

Did you know know that the 12 days of christmas actually starts on 12/25?? yep sure does.
you can read more about that here:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/newsletter/2004/dec24.html

So starting tomorrow I will have some blog candy up for grabs. cards of the techniques I have planned. All you need to do is leave a comment and one of my family members will be picking a number for the winner of the card.

Have a safe and very HAPPY MERRY CHRISTMAS. I know santa will be flying over my house tonight and hopefully I am on his nice list this year.

I have been tagged

Ok not I guess I am suppose to post 7 interesting things about myself and tag back 7 others.

hmmm interesting things not sure I am very interesting but here goes

1 - I once flew in a F-16
2 - I love to travel - and would be gone now but have work and need money.
3 - I love to collect craft supplies
4 - I would love to be a photographer but only play now
5 - I like to do day hikes to interesting places
6 - I support animal groups since I was about 7
7 - I hate these things because I can never think of something good to put in them.

Now to tag 7 others:

amanda - http://www.a-grimsley.blogspot.com/
bree - http://stampsscraps.blogspot.com/
Claire - http://justaworldawayfromhere.blogspot.com/
Diane - http://www.stampingpuppies.com/
Fiona http://www.magickdiva.blogspot.com/
Jackie - http://shortwizard.blogspot.com/
Jackie - http://stampingsister.blogspot.com/

now your turn to tag 7 others but you can't tag the person that tagged you. I think thats how it works.

snowman bag

Fairly easy and no stamping but needed something quick. Small brown bag cut about 5 1/2 inches. The front I cut a 3 1/2 by 4 inch white. 3 x 4 inch black and a 1 by 5 1/2 inch black. small punch from stampin up. scrap of orange and some button eyes since I did not have a 1/2 inch punch. can't believe I am missing a punch.

filled with some candy and body lotion ready for the girls at work

Christmas is near are your cards done??

why is it everyone at this time says it comes up on you so fast?? well thats because we do 10 times the amount of work in a really short time I think.

Been so tired the last few days haven't posted so stopping by to post one more card I did for christmas. My stampin' up demo is awesome and she show us how to do this card. I love it. I even made some 6 x 6 pages using the same technique.

Always artichoke with trees done in chocolate chip then daubered vanilla craft ink for the snowy sky. simple simple but looks great. added a little glitter for the trees. When I duplicated this I used stickles instead and I liked the look a lot more.

posted on split coast stampers here:

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/749111?cat=500&ppuser=25287

Hang in there only a few more days of craziness then comes the clean up and the bills.

I won

To darn tired to post something cool tonight so just passing the word on another cool blog. one of my sbs6 sisters split coast stampers.

Here is a link to her blog
http://stampingsister.blogspot.com/2007/12/days-of-bellas-day-3.html

where I won the fixafella card.

Thanks Jackie

2nd day of Christmas - paper piercing

Chicken scratch:


All stamps are by Penguin Pants Rubber Stamps. A brand new company that sells clear stamps they are soo dang cute.

Remember I will be picking a random winner to get this card so leave a comment.


Stamped in black on whisper white then colored with stampin up markers summer sun and only orange. You want to color this first because the encore silver can bleed a bit when coloring.






Then add a little thyme and bashful blue to make some sky and ground






Then with encore silver stamp the chicken wire. I did trim it up a bit so there were no white edges.



Next on a layer of Always artichoke I used my tool kit and made holes all the way around. ok so the photo doesn't show the line matched up very well but with one hand on the camera on self timer and the other trying to show you this its the best I could do.





Lastly just layer onto summer sun and really rust. cut a small part of the summer sun off and stamp the feet. And the saying on the top.

1st day of christmas - watercolor with markers

Viola Chef presents his birthday cake:




Merry Christmas and welcome to the first day of Christmas posts. One person from the comments will be picked at random will win this card .


So I don't own any Copic markers, yet at least. So I thought I would try the water color paper, stampin' up markers and waterpen. I think the big key is the paper you really need the water color paper.

I stamped using versafine, my well used and favorite black pad.



Then I started coloring using the lightest color first. I used Blush Blossum on the skin, Apricot on the lace under the cake. Not a whole lot of blending needed here except the face. then I added Pretty in pink for the cake, Pixie Pink for the candle and Summer sun for the flame.



Then I applied the bashful blue only in small sections at a time so the blending was easier. Key add the marker to the spots that are dark so if you have a line apply it, if you have a dark area apply it. then blend blend blend with the water color pen. you can take off and add as much as you want. At least till you wear a whole in the paper but that is very hard to do.

If you think it needs more color is to put the color then what you have take your marker and draw on plastic, like the lid of the box the stamps come in or a cd or acetate. Then take your water pen and add more color.

you will be surprised at how easy this is once you try it. really its the paper I am now convinced of it.




Disclaimer: Just want to say first I am NOT a demo nor do I work for any company just joe smoo passing on my stamping fun. Now I am not a professional photographer nor am I the greatest and best stamper. I may not get all the colors correctly so excuse me for this as well.

top 10 reasons no is around much on the holidays

so I was wondering where everyone was and got to thinking about it and here is what I came up with:

1. you been wrapped and put under a tree till the 25th

2. you fell into the mailbox mailing your Christmas cards
3. you are lost on your stamp pile because you can't find your Christmas stamps

4. Mall security found you sleeping behind the planters at the mall where you were hoping to be first in line for the special

5. The gingerbread men you baked took you hostage and are currently holding you in your stove

6. the snow is so deep at your house that your internet connection went down and you are now communicating by smoke signals

7 you are going to so many holiday parties that you forgot where you live

8 you decided to do a family photo for your Christmas cards & you are still trying to figure out how to get last years picture out of the memory

9. you went caroling and remembered to late that you couldn't sing till to late and are now cleaning tomatoes out of your hair.

10. You were mocking Santa when the elves came to your door and captured you and you are now doing slave labor making toys.


so whats your excuse????

Holiday lights at the conservatory

I didn't get any stamping done today instead we went to the conservatory for their annual christmas lights show. They hang lights and decorations all over the inside of the greenhouse that holds mostly cactus and its so gorgeous. Here are a few shots to inspire you to finish your holdiay hustle and bustle and to enjoy the season.

This is me in the middle of it all

A favorite every year is the light poinsettia tree. A lot of potted poinsettia to make up one tree. Although to me looks as though its missing a couple.

rows of candy canes holding lights and lots of poinsettia and other floral and cactus line their way through the green house.

Of course all the cactus were dressed up in holiday spirt as well

This pretty pink poinsettia was one of my favorites

StampScapes

Thought I would feature a stamp company tonight. one of my favorites is stampscapes

http://www.stampscapes.com/

They are an awesome company with a Male stamper that is very talented and really nice guy if you have met him at a convention. Kevin Nakagawa.

The leading photo is done on stampboard. Stamped with stayzon and then brayered with color. then you take away some of the color by scratching the service.



My attempt at northern lights. simple streaks of marvy pads across glossy paper and stamped with stayzon. took a couple of trys to get this but finally I was somewhat happy with it.

This last card is a classic that I have done several times. simple stamp your image on glossy with stayzon. then start with your lightest shade of color and stamp all over then over lap with the next darker color and so forth till you reach the edges. add a little gel pen on the window and the lake and looks like someone is home.

Now there are hundreds of samples on their website by much more talented people then me. but these stamps can really make anyone look like a great artist.

12 days of christmas truth

well I thought about doing a 12 days of christmas post but you know what ? the 12 days of christmas start on the 25th or 26th depending on different thoughts. NOT before christmas well blow me over.

i did a bit of snooping and one of my favorite spots is always to go to snopes.com and here is their article on the 12 days of christmas
http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/12days.asp
you have to go down aways to find the bit on when it starts because it talks mostly about the song but its there.

so Guess what that means??
on christmas day I am going to attempt to bring you 12 days of christmas stamping

So for today's viewing pleasure I will post a picture of one of my christmas cards for this year.
All stamps are Stampin up except the pointsetta that is "a stamp in the hand"

I rolled the background with pomegranete onto pomegranet paper then cut in a curve using creative memories tools and layered onto river rock. The pointsetta is direct to paper and then cut out. Mind you I cut MANY of these and then added a brad

GARNET DIGGING IN IDAHO

Above is a picture of one of the garnets I pulled out of big pile of clay, dirt and rocks. There are only 2 places in the world that you can find star garnets and I happen to be lucky enough to live only 3 hours away from one.

Fathers day weekend seemed like a good weekend for my dad, hubby, one of my brothers and I to go digging. my son couldn't make it due to a job interview which he got so that worked out great.

So what do you do when you go digging??

First you fill your bucket full of dirt from the pile that has been brought in by the forest department. I use to be that you had to go to a dig site where only about 12 people at a time could dig and yes you dug down about 5 to 6 feet to get to the pay dirt. Now they do that for you.

Dirt pile where you dig.




Dad filling up his first bucket





















Then its off to the sifting section. Where you dump your dirt into the screen and shake and shake and shake. this sifts out some of the small sand.

Still leaves some lumps of clay that you need to break up with your hand. this is where the garnets can hide. Inspecting the big stuff as you go. Sometimes though you can't tell they could clean up and be a garnet or a rock that holds one.


Nest you take your sifted pile to the water dredging section. This is where you will finish cleaning your rocks and the garnets will really stand out to you

Here I am cleaning and searching

And me at the end of the day with my baggie of rocks. This is after I cleaned up a bit in the dirty water. Yes you do get dirty.

Here is my husband and mines dig for the day and little closer of a few of them showing size.




Now we can polish them or cut them an hope one is a star inside. which we might do someday. But for a day of fun with the guys on fathers day weekend is what it was really about.


For $10. a piece you are allowed to take out as many garnets as you can dig up in the hours they are open. If you go a few things to take: lunch, baby wipes or something to clean up with, wear dirty clothes, and gloves can come in real handy as well. there is only a porta potty so beware of that as well. And its a good work out too your arms will get tired from sifting and your back from the up and down. But the short walk up the hill in the beautiful forest is a great way to spend the day.

If you are lucky enough you might even see some deer like we did or a moose which we caught of glimpse of on our way driving out. He was in no way wanting to stick around long enough for a picture.


You can find more information about garnet digging here:

http://www.fs.fed.us/ipnf/rec/activities/garnets/index.html

and more pictures are being uploaded to my picturetrail here:
http://www.picturetrail.com/stampmouse