Hop Art Studio

Winter Wings

I've wanted to get my oil paints out and create something on a canvas for quite some time now. I had these little tiny canvas, 2 x 2 3/4, laying around and it hit me. Why not stamp one of my new bird images on the front of it and use my oils to create a painting.  The oils I used are by Reeves and they came in a small set. They are water mixable oils. Which is great because I have always hated the mess oils create. These are easy clean up and act just like oil paints, in just about every way.

Now if only I would dig out my pastels!

For more samples with tonight's new stamp sets, please visit these participating designer's blog links:

• GinaK *Illustrator of Labeled with Love* 
• Asela *Illustrator of Winter Wings*
• Jessica
• Theresa
  
• Tami
  
• Melanie
  
• Nina
• Cathy
• Lee
• Lynn 
• Tera *our CenterStage Spotlight Designer* 

The entire team would like to cordially invite each of you to our release party tomorrow night (Thursday September 30.)  We'll have contest questions, challenges, chatter, and lots of samples with the new stamp sets to share during the party. Please make plans to join us from 7-10 central on StampTV!

Copic Creations Challenge - Reading

 

This week we’ve teamed up with an amazing, award-winning author and children’s book illustrator ~ Elizabeth Dulemba. 

Elizabeth features a weekly newsletter that includes LOTS of adorable FREE reading images.   So I hope you will join us for this challenge.   We’re hoping to stress the importance of reading during the summer break for all those “bored” kids out there!   

I had fun creating this bookmark using one of her free images.
You can find all the copic marker list and more beautiful examples at Copic Creations Blog .

Hero Girl

 

It's been a crazy week since we came back from our Disney trip and this week hasn't been any easier. I'm trying to find snippets of time here and there to work on stuff. Just stuff that I want to do, no assignments or such. Just fun.

I picked up this adorable Hero Arts stamp at A Small Cleverness (awesome rubberstamp store!) and I just couldn't wait to start coloring her in. I decided to stamp a bunch of images and make her into an ATC using scraps of paper that I had from another project I worked on recently.

She's colored in using Copic Markers.

Blue Fairy

 

Love these little stamps by Hero Arts. I've finally jumped on the big head people band wagon.

In honor of Avatar, I decided to color the girl blue using B00 and B12 for my ATC. I figured fairies can be any color I wanted so I gave her some vellum sings.

I made 9 more of these little cards and will be trading them at my local rubberstamp store. 

 

Coloring a Bride- Copic Markers

At one of my classes I was asked how to color a brides dress. 

So I pulled out a drawing that I had done some time ago 

and tried a few different markers to color in her dress. 

Thought I'd share what I came up with.

 

(Skin pair of colors is skin colors)

(Click on images for larger version.)

(JPG of the brides for you to download) 

   

ATC Lil' Bird

 

Just a quick post using one of the images from my newest set for Ginak called Dream Birds. This set was so much fun to create and I really hope you have fun using it.

It will be available tomorrow. Hop on over to Gina's blog to see more wonderful previews of all the newest releases this month.

Woof

 

I'm a big dog person but when my dobberman died we bought a toy poodle. It took some getting use to having a little dog but I love him to death! 

I found this really cute acrylic dog stamp set at Michaels. I colored all the images using Copic markers. The fly is part of a adorable 1.99 acrylic set. I'm getting more and more use to acrylic stamps. Really makes a difference what ink you use. I like Pallete.

Oh yea, this is an ATC.

Background Cuttlebug embossing folder

IHP Birthday Bash Day 3

I was asked to join in the fun to celebrate I Heart Papers Birthday bash. This is Day 3 of the celebration. I created 2 place cards and a card using papers, emblishments and stamps that can be found at I Heart Papers. All the information on how you can join in all the fun and try for the prizes offers here IHP Birthday Bash!

 

IHP Birthday Bash Challenge —Day 3

 

When you are hosting a party, you want to create an atmosphere of fun and excitement. Ribbons, streamers, table decorations and special party favors all set the stage for celebrating!

 

Our challenge for you today is to use IHP embellishments to dress up your card (scrapbook page, 3-D item, etc.), table decoration, or party favor. Remember, everything this week has to do with birthday celebrations...so be sure your creation is birthday related!

 

Before you begin, take a few minutes to review the challenge guidelines! You’ll want to follow these rules to maximize your points and qualify for the opportunity to WIN the prize for today’s challenge and the Grand Prize, all announced on the last day of our festivities!

 

To qualify for the prize of the day, all you have to do is upload your challenge card/project to Splitcoast Stampers (SCS) and/or Paper Craft Planet (PCP) with the appropriate tag so we can find it. Today’s challenge tag is IHPBB3. The daily challenge winners will be randomly selected at the end of the week.

 

To qualify for the Grand Prize of being IHP Guest Designer for the month of November, here’s how it will work: Every challenge card/project you enter will earn you points (see below), and one with the most accumulated for the week the Grand Prize winner. So the more challenges you enter, more points you earn — and the better your chances of winning the Grand Prize (and the bigger the value of your Guest Designer box will be)!

 

You will have until October 25^th to post your work, and you can enter as many challenges as you like, but you CANNOT combine challenges in one project. All winners, including the Grand Prize winner, will be announced at the Birthday Bash on October 26^th.

 

Birthday Bash Points

 

For each project:

5 points for each challenge card/project you make, upload and tag to SCS

5 points for each challenge card/project you make, upload and tag to PCP

2 points for uploading to your blog and linking at least one IHP item used to the IHP website

 

One time points:

2 points for signing up to receive our newsletter*

2 points for joining our PCP group*

2 points for becoming our fan on Facebook*

10 points if you participate in all 6 IHP Birthday Bash challenges

 

*When you sign up, or if you are already signed up, a comment on the IHP blog Birthday Bash week so your points can be credited.

 

Here are the hosts for each day.  Be sure to check their blogs on their scheduled day to find out that day’s challenge.  You can also check the main IHP Birthday Bash page at the store.  It will be updated daily.

Day 1(10/19): Kate(owner), Sarah Anderson, and Dee Jackson

Day 2 (10/20): Deb/Latisha Yoast

Day 3 (10/21): Gretchen/Lesa Smaligo and Lynn/Asela Hopkins

Day 4 (10/22): Cathleen/Kerri Michaud and Carolyn/Maria Fiscella

Day 5 (10/23): Megan/Chris Veneruso and Kendra/Debbie Fisher

Day 6 (10/24): Tracy/Heidi Van Laar and Amber/Kerry Davis

Day 7 (10/25): Sunday, day of rest (finish up your challenges!)
Day 8 (10/26): PARTY! GRAND PRIZE (winners are announced)

 

  

Eeeeeeek!

I spotted a great card by Geri on StampTV where she used my door from "The Journey" stamp set with a spider web in the corner of the door. How freakin' totally cool!

I just had to try it. I created a bunch of these little ATC cards. I love this little guy. He's from a small set by Basic Grey (Value Stamps). I stamped my door using brown and then stamped Hambo's spider web using versamark in the corner and embossed it in black. I added diamond glaze to his eyes and to the spider (Inkadinkado Clear Mini stamp set)

Love those pumpkins. They were illustrated by Theresa Momber and are part of her fall set. I know you are going to love her new set!

Talking about new sets, have you hopped on over to Gina's blog yet? Well what are ya waiting for?Hop on over to StampTV Blog.  You are going to love all of the new stamp sets being previewed this week.

Fruitful Harvest - Blog Hop!

I'm so excited to share with you a little notebook that I created using the pears from my newest set for Ginak Designs called "Fruitful Harvest". This was an idea that popped into my head while I was setting the dinner table. Yes, we set the dinner table with a tablecloth and silverware. I have a centerpiece that has some really pretty beaded fruit in it. And I thought, "Why not make my stamped images beaded!"

To create the beaded look use Alene's Tacky glue and a small brush. Brush the glue on top of the colored images. Pour clear micro beads on top of the glue. Press down with fingers. 

Copic Markers: Y0000,Y00, YR20, YR02,YG03, G07, E35

For even more inspiration with the Fruitful Harvest stamp set, head over to to my dear  friend Deb Felts . She's sharing a beautiful card with us tonight too! Then, take the time to check out all the other GinaK Design Team Member's sharing projects tonight on their blogs:

Carolyn King Emily Giovanni Erika Martin Gina Krupksy Jessica Fick Kurtis Amundson Lee Murphy Lynn Mercurio Melanie Muenchinger Theresa Momber

and our CenterStage spotlight designers:

Geri Utterback Shelly Wilson

Priceless Treasures

 

I joined in my local stamp store, A Small Cleverness, monthly challenge. This time we had to create something using pre-chosen jewelry trinkets. I picked the heart, 2 squares and some extra doo-dads. I am sooooooooooo not a jewelry person, LOL.

So I create this wind chime or wall art, you chose. I used images from my stamp sets and GinaK's butterfly for the images. I used a white Prismacolor pencils to add the white areas. I covered the surfaces using Rangers Crackle Accents. And then added the silver beads.

Today is the first preview of all the lovely new sets GinaK has to offer this month.

So take a moment and hop on over to http://blog.ginakdesigns.com/

Inchie Magnets

I spent some part of yesterday finding my mojo again. One of the things that usually helps me is to reorganize my space, be it as small as it actually is, it doesn't take long! LOL

I stacked one wire shelf (the kind that hook into each other) onto the one next to it to create a fairly tall unit. I then consolidated all of my SU! and other stamp sets here. My GinaK ones are directly behind my table on a 2 shelf wire unit for easy access.

I then bought another 2 shelf wire unit and placed it next to the taller one. I put odds and ends on this one. Re-organizing helps me to discover things that I haven't used in a while and get's the mojo going.

One thing I found was a $1 magnet set that I bought at Michael's. I peeled the fronts off the magnets. (You can punch your own inch magnets by using those thin magnet sheets you can buy at Michaels or office supply stores.) I then stamped the animals from my Zoo Animals set and colored them in using my Copic markers.

I used a punch I have that is just a bit smaller than 1 inch to punch out the animals and punched out 1 inch black squares. Glued the animals to the black background and then the black to the magnets front.

I saw the cutest little page magnetic markers. I think I may try to re-create them using my little Zoo magnet.

Fairies

    

I drew these little ACEO (ATC size) fairies and colored them in using my Copic markers. It was just something fun to do.

Well, this weekend found me painting the walls of our new bonus room. I wish I could say that I will be using all of the space as my new art studio but alas it's not the case. With a hubby who is a drummer and musician and 2 boys it's going to become the man cave and hang out room! I'm okay with this. My hubby really needs that space more than I do. I've had to share my space with a set of drums for the last 24 years! So trust me it's nice that it's up and away from me....lol

I'll be finishing the rest of the painting, hopefully today. I'll have to check the walls and see if they need another coat. My 17 year helped me paint. Bless his heart. He tried, but left a lot of unevenly coated areas. I went behind him and tried to even out the walls. Still...

By the end of the week we should be able to start moving all of the stuff back upstairs. I can't wait! I hate having a mess around me.

Digital

Have you tried digital stamps yet? Do you even know what they are? Well, have you heard of digital scrapbooking?This is the natural progression from that media. Now you can save black and white illustrations on your computer and print them out. It's really cool!

Well, I so happen to have an extremely talented 17 year old son who is dieing to make some extra spending money over the summer. I have always encouraged my boys artistic talents and am very proud of them. I let them use all of my supplies, always have. Nothing I own is sacred, not even my Copics!

I'd love for you to take a peak at his drawings. I think you will be really surprised how totally cute they are! (Mom of course thinks they are awesome!)

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5583808

Please remember, that if you do purchase his stamps all Copyright laws apply to them. That means you are only buying the rights to use them for your own personal use, you are not buying the artwork to pass it on to others or to create things such as rubberstamps for sale.

(I know.....I hate to remind everyone of Copyright laws, but I think it's important to understand that laws are laws and ignorance of them doesn't mean that you can break them.)

Blessing Rose

I found this really awesome frame for a dollar. Now I don't recall if it was at Michaels or Target, but it was a cool find. It's a rather small frame.

I first stained the picture frame, which was white, using ColorBox Fluid Chalk ink Chestnut Brown. Then I took the tube of Stazon Cleaner and rubbed it on top. Then wiped it off. It left the brown in the groves and lighter on the outside.

I stamped the saying and the rose from my new set for GinaK "Friendship's Garden" and colored the rose in using Copic markers. The crackling is a stamp by GinaK.

Sorry this is short but I have a really busy day today and just didn't want to not post.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Many Blessings

I'm having fun creating ATC's lately. Something about the small size of them that makes them so apealing. I also love illustrating ACEO's (Artists Cards Editions and Originals-same size as ATC's).

I used the Camellia from my new set "Friendship's Garden" as the focal point for the ATC. I wanted to play with scraps that I already had in my stash. I mean, why do we store all those little pieces if we never use them? Right!

I stamped the flower twice and colored it in with Copic Markers.  I then cut one up, around the smaller petal cluster and adhered it to the other flower using dimensional tape. The saying is also from my new set.

Well, I'm off! I have an extremely busy week ahead and lots to share.

Flora and Fauna

 I wasn't able to stamp a lot this week. Sometimes life just gets in the way! Darn it.

I joined in the fun at our local stamp stores monthly challenge. This time we had to create something with this really cute metal tote. (It contained 2 more square tins that fit inside this tote.)

I found cute porcelain dolls at the local dollar store. I striped them of their hair and clothes and had some fun dolls to decorate. I used silk flower petals that I had found some time ago. (I like to go to Walmart and look for great deals on flowers that I can take apart and later use on my projects.) Their shirts are created using ribbon. The wings are stamped,colored, cut out and glittered up.  

I may take this apart once I have it back home and use the tin to store my markers. I'll just place the little fairies somewhere else.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Welcome to the Zoo!

I hope everyone enjoyed the wonderful previews this week for the new GinaK stamp sets. There was a wonderful reveal party last night. Lots of great samples.

Wow it was hard photographing this page. It measures 8 x10. Perfect for framing or for adding to your scrapbook.

I used all my new critters! Plus a couple more. Can you find them?

I used my Copic markers to color in all the animals. Alot of them are 2 dimensional. The tiled letters are staggered with one pasted on the page and the next popped up.

I just love that fence punch by Martha Stewart! I knew that I would be using it when I cut out the animals. It's absolutely a perfect match!

 The new stamp sets are now available at GinaK Designs. And oh my you have to see the wonderful new digital papers. Emily did an awesome job! I love all of them. 

And don't forget to hop on over to get your freebie digital papers Rich & Shabby and Peachy Keen Papers. 

Hope I've given you some fun ideas on how to use my animals on your pages and card projects. I have many more fun ideas to come. Have a great weekend.  

Inchie Fun

  

   

I had some time to play with a set of stamps that are inchie sized. I stamped them using Palette Noir Black ink and then used my Copic markers to color them in. To make the background, pick more intense Copic Marker colors. Then use your blender to go over top of the colors you put down. This will lighten the colors (make them less intense) and will give it a more watercolor look. Remember the blender is good for taking away and lightening colors.

I will try to post this week as I can. With hubby and the kids home all week finding the time to create is hard. Wish me luck!

Believe

Oh you know how much I love shrink plastic! I feel like a kid when I stamp something on it and watch in get tiny. So much fun.

I stamped my new Folk Angel from my set Christmas_Blessings using Memento black. Then I colored her in using Copic markers. Use light colors because they will darken when you heat the plastic and it shrinks.

I then stamped Believe, from my set Flowers_for_Daisy. I used a corner punch on the edges of the square and then punched 2 holes at the top. Then with my heat tool I shrunk it! Weeeeeeee.....

Now raise your hand if you have a bunch of corner punches that you rarely use. Now, now I know you have them! I used one on the red panel and then created a white panel that would slip in beneath the raised scrolls. I then stamped the passage from Psalms, again from my Flowers for Daisy stamp set, on the white panel.

Add some Diamond Glaze to the apron and add some glitter. (As you can see it reacted with the ink and made it bleed..oh darn it! So try to avoid the black ink if you try to do this or just use Tacky glue to adhere the glitter.)

The angel is attached using brads. Or you can add ribbon through the holes or add a magnet to the back, or even some fun wire.

Have a safe Halloween and a great weekend.

Reindeer Treat

Gina just added these great clear boxes to her store. They come in 3 sizes.  Clear_Boxes fit from 1-10 cards, depending on the size you pick.

I stamped my Reindeer using brown ink onto kraft card stock. Then I used my white gel pen to add highlights. I added a gold and red rhinestone to their little noses.

I created a mask of the deers legs and placed it over them. Then I inked up my pine branches using SU! Hunter green ink pad. And stamped it over the masked legs.

I used my nestibilities to cut the scallop rectangle. I created a kraft band to go around the box and wrapped a ribbon around it. Ribbon is from GinaK.

I love chocolate covered pretzels. So I made some to add as a yummy addition to the box.

My little ones arm is now in a cast for 4 weeks. He has what they call a buckle fracture. His bone bent in half without actually breaking. Ouch! Luckily it's a fracture that heals rather fast.

Orange You Happy!

Okay, I admit it. I'm a bit of a pack rat. Just a bit. And one of the things I've been hoarding over the years are orange juice lids. I figured that one day, maybe, I'd come up with a great way of using them.

Well!.....I figured out something totally fun and I wanted to hurry up and make it to share with you.

You'll need the metal lid from a juice container. I believe that several types of juice and different types of companies use this system to sell their frozen products. So it should be fairly easy for you to get one.

Remove the lid and clean and dry it really well.  I left mine silver but you can spray paint yours a Christmas color, white or black. Have fun, experiment!

I then used my Marvy scallop punch to punch out the green scallop circle. It's a perfect fit! I don't own the Nestibilitie scallops, yet, but if you do I'm sure there's a size that will   work.

I stamped the saying using Versamark and embossed in black. (Saying included in my new set.)

Once dry I glued the scallop circle to the back of the tin.

Using the Pointsetta from my new set "Christmas Blessing" I stamped it using Versamark onto red paper 3 times. Then I sprinkled red embossing powder on the stamped images.  Tapped the excess off and heat set them. I cut out 1 whole flower, 1 flower minus the smallest petals, and 1 with only the largest petals.

I cut a white circle out and glued gold cord around the edge and adhered it to the center of the tin.

Then I used dimensional tape and created the flower.(Slightly turning the layers to create more depth.) Punched out some yellow dots. Glued to the center and using my finger I smeared some Gold Skittles all over the front of the flower.

The hole was punched out using my Crop A Dile. Ta-Dah! A pretty new ornament for your tree this year or to give away as a gift. Or how about making one to hang on that special package? How cool is that!

And guess what tomorrow is? Card Making Day!

And Gina has something extra special planned for tomorrow. And as a military spouse I'm more than excited about this one! And oh my goodness....the prizes!!! And the chances to win. Oh my!  So don't forget to go to http://www.shop.ginakdesigns.com/product.sc?categoryId=16&productId=246 on Saturday for this wonderful opportunity.

Ben's doing better today. Resting and keeping his arm elevated really has helped. I can tell that this break is nothing like the first one. His fingers aren't swollen or black and blue. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, that the orthopedic surgeon  on Monday says it's not that bad.

Have a great weekend!

Sweet Surprise

Look what I received in the mail yesterday! What a wonderful sweet surprise.

Thank you so much Mary, you made my day. And your card and sketch pad are the most adorable ever. My jaw dropped when I opened the package. Wow simply gorgeous!

Mary also included a Copic Multiliner! How cool is that. I'm overwhelmed by how sweet her gifts were to me. I really needed this little pick me up this week. It's been a hard week for me. So again Mary, thank you.

Mary used my new set "Flowers for Daisy" by GinaK on her gifts.

Mary won my blog candy and used Kohl i nor pencils and gamsol to color the images in. I love the paper she used! It coordinates so well with the main image.

Mary made the pad for me to use when I color with my Copics. I'll be able to keep track of my color combos and experiments within it's pages. What a great idea!

Well, things have been busy as always for me lately. Hoping once school starts I'll have more time for me. But you know how that goes! Things always come up and "me" time seems far and few.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Little ATC Tees

I love to create ATCs. It's always fun to see how the stamps I'm using can be used on a smaller scale. Just like Inchies, such a fun challenge.

I used Melaine's new set Little_Tees.�I stamped the cute shirt onto different scrapbooking papaer scraps I had.

I added some shading with my Copic markers.� Melanie has some adorable new sayings. I used one as is the other I created by combining "Love" and "U". I used my "Believe" saying from my Botanical Dreams set on the butterfly tee. The cute little gemstones are by Hero Arts.

Tiny Daisies

Sometimes the funnest things can come in the smallest packages. Diamonds! Oh I regress....hehehehe

I've told myself that I'm going to try to create an inchie from stamps that I may be using at the time. Inchies are so much fun, and a great little challenge.

I stamped the Daisies in the Vase and colored in the lower two daisies using Copic markers. I also colored in the top part of the vase. I pulled out some scraps of scrapbooking paper and punched out a square (this punch is 1/8 inch smaller than my 1" punch I have.)

I used really sharp scissors and my exacto knife blade to cut out the daisies and vase. Once it was cut out I went around the outer edges with a black marker. (This isn't easy as the marker will tend to bleed into the paper.)

Thank you everyone for your support raising money for the American Cancer Society. And thank you for all the prayers and good thoughts for Daisy. I'm passing them along.

(She's already started receiving  your cards in the mail! )

God Is Good All the Time

The day is here! Gina's new sets are available GinaK_Designs

The other day I wandered into Target's dollar spot. Sometimes they have the coolest little things.

Well, I found a bin full of the cutest little blue and pink baby hats. Adorable! Instantly an idea came to my head.

I went home, and using Stazon ink, I inked up my Daisy (not the stem) and pressed it onto the fabric of the little hat.

I haven't embroidered in years. But that wasn't going to stop me. I pulled out my DMC threads and began stitching in the white areas of the daisies. Oh how fun!

I then, much to my amazement, began to create little French knots using 2 shades of yellow. I have never, ever been successful at making French knots. And yet here I was, making cute little yellow knot stitches, as if I'd been doing it for years! Wow.

I wanted to create a small gift card to go along with the hat. So I took a piece of 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 blue card stock and folded it in half. I stamped the Daisy using black ink and then colored it in using white Acrylic paint. I added the yellows and greens using my Copic markers. I then took my finger and dipped it into the white paint and smudged it along the edges of the card.

When I drew my daisy set I wanted it to be very versatile. I wanted you to be able to create with it over and over again. I hope that when you are stamping with this set that you will always think about how really blessed we are, no matter what we are going through. And I want you to continue to say a prayer for Daisy and all Cancer patients and those who are in remission.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Lavender Gift

A girl should never have this much fun!

I had this idea in my head since I received my stamps. I was dieing to create a soap gift set and I just couldn't wait to make it. And it came out exactly how I pictured it! Don't you just love when that happens!

I took pictures again as I created it (I'm finding that keeping my camera near by me when I'm making something is a good thing!)

I had this soap starter kit I had bought at Michaels last year. All you need do is melt the soap squares in a bowl in the microwave and then pour it into a mold. Really easy.

You can add fragrance or herbs or anything you want really, while it's in liquid form.

Now the first step may be a bit scary for some of you. So only follow along if you have a the nerve!

I removed the EzMount foam from the back of my Salvia stamp! Yep, I sure did....I figured if the foam came apart in pieces I could always add more back on. Why pull it off, well I wanted the impression of the Salvia (Faux Lavender...lol) on my bar of soap. And it needed to be thin. I lay the rubber piece onto the bottom of the plastic mold, stamp side up. I sprinkled some lavender around it and then poured the liquid soap on top of the stamp. When it harden I removed the soap and just peeled the stamp away. Rinsed it off, dried it and put the foam mount back on. Didn't hurt one bit!

I pulled out my Twinkling H2O's by LuminArte' (Forest Green and Black Cherry). Added a few drops of water into the little pots and with a small paint brush I applied green  and then the cherry directly onto the indentations that the rubber stamp left. (I'm not worried about the H2O getting on peoples hands when they wash....seriously who would ever think of using something so cute! And if they  ever did I'm pretty confident it would wash off.)

I measured around the outside diameter of the bar of soap and cut a piece of pretty purple scrap booking paper I had  and some fun natural handmade paper to wrap around the bar.

I wet my brush and started adding color directly onto the, now mounted, salvia stamp. Once all the color was on the rubber I huffed, a lot! To get it really moist again.

I then stamped it directly on to the handmade paper. I huffed again and stamped it a couple of times on an extra scrap I had, just in case, for later use. I love the way the extra ones stamped!

Oh my, the H2O's are so pretty and sparkle so nicely. I wish you could actually see how beautiful they look on the bar of soap and the card.

You can always buy a pretty bar of handmade soap and just create the band for it. You can stamp Friend, Dream, or Believe from my set. Maybe even make one of each! How cute would that be.

I created the front of my card in a similar fashion as I did the band for the soap. I just put the purple paper on top of the handmade paper and added some hemp cord.

I hope you like me sharing these ideas with you. I'm pretty excited to be able to create these things for you to use my stamps on.

Here's a chances to win goodies from GinaK Designs....

1- http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=357245

2- http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=357261

3.- http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=357237

4- http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=357259

Have a wonderful day!

Daily Gifts

Each day provides its own gifts. So true. So very true.

My son, soon to be 16, lives by this saying. He's always the optimist. He lives for the day. He is the bright spot when things seem dim. He's truly full of joy and is always happy. Each day he's a gift to us.

I found this journal at Target. Did you know that Target has the neatest chipboard journals and other items that you can add your own touch to? I picked this one up and another one on sale for a bit over $2 each.

I glued Paisley paper from a 6x6 pad (Fresh Anthology Collection-Sydney) to the cover and glued some Martha Stewart ribbon on top. The teal color was already on the journal.

I stamped Poppies by Cornish Heritage Farms using black ink. I started coloring it using Prismacolor markers. I then added some pink Prismacolor pencil over the marker. I blended the pencils marks using a Colorless Prismacolor blender pencil. The fun part came when I decided to tone down the pinks and make them more blue. I painted over the petals of the flower using diluted Twinkling H2O Mystic Blue. Love how it turned out!

I used a Marvy punch to create the scallop, sponging the outer edge.   I used my Coluzzle template for the oval.

The saying is by Cornish Heritage Farms.

I'm hoping to have lunch with a friend on Friday. I hope she'll like the journal I plan on giving her. Just because.

Coasters Fun

I was out eating lunch with the boys and I picked up 2 drink coaster and just had to run home and alter them.

Okay, I just started reaching into my scrap paper stash and stamp box (yep, they are all in a cardboard box!) So please forgive me if I don't list all of the stamp companies, stamp names, paper manufacturers, etc. Hopefully you'll be inspired to reach for what ever supplies you already have on hand and go for it.

I covered the front using some pretty linen paper and and grabbed some Stampin' Up! stamps and the little girl stamp.(I placed a clear acrylic circle over her face.)  All the words are by Cornish Heritage Farms.

I used the same paper for the back cover and the same images.

I copied the outline of the coaster onto paper and cut them out for the inside pages.

I used brown ink to stamp the image onto the black paper. Oh I liked how that looked!

I used my Crop-A-Dile to make the three holes. And then added some ribbon and twill.

I kept all the inks consistent to unify the look of the little book. I just had fun stamping and sponging.

I'm glad it's Friday! Where has this month gone. I can hardly believe Christmas is almost here.

Oh yea, those arches in the picture of our house, they aren't staying that way (floating up there). There are columns at the bases. I started to think, "Wow, that picture looks funny!"  LOL

Hope everyone will be safe this weekend. 

Tiles

The builder's wife has been looking for hand painted Italian tiles, small 2x2 inch ones, for decorative accents around the fireplace and kitchen back splash. They are so expensive. Can you believe some of the cheapest ones were $20! For a 2" tile.

So I kept thinking, "I can paint those". So I took some 2" travertine tiles and using my acrylic paints I created some. I downloaded some images I found online (I actually feel badly about posting these here since I copied the designs. So please do not share this photo.) I'm going to only use these in my home and obvoiusly not sell them. I really felt that I couldn't just create my own designs as I needed the correct style of Italian designs that would match our home.

These 3 are the experimental ones. I plan to use enamel paints, formulated for tiles, so that they will be more permanent on the final ones.

Lighthouse Magnet

I took a little break on Wednesday from the kids and ran over to Michaels. And lo and behold look what I found in the dollar bin. Packaged in a set of 3, these cute little magnet frames! Oh the fun possibilities. They are all different styles.

I stamped 'The Light of Peace' Thomas Kinkade by Cornish Heritage Farms using Stazon Gray onto white cardstock (I used Whisper White by SU!). Since you are only using a small portion of the stamp you only need to ink that bit up.

I then colored it in using my Prismacolor pencils. I did the greens first, then the sky. I then worked the bright colors. Then added all of the darks. I used the label on the front of the stamp for my reference.

The frame is silver. I wanted something more antique looking. So I used my Sepia Prismacolor Marker to antique the frame. (Just color over the frame and wipe off. I did this several times. I used my finger to wipe. Ha! You may want to use a rag.)

Place the cut out image into the frame and give it away as a gift or display it. It's on my magnetic board over my drawing table. So cute!

There's been a lot of wonderful entries in the  Hop_A_Thon contest. Joan was so sweet to sponsor this give away. She is giving away a $25 Gift Certificate for Cornish Heritage Farms. I tell you, you are going to be soooooooooooo happy if you win. Because I know that there are a bunch of new, exciting, awesome stamps coming out so very soon. You just don't want to miss out!

Plus, I'm going to pick a bunch of other lucky winners. I'm going to give away a little something to a few of you.

The give away ends  tomorrow on Saturday, November 24 at Midnight (EST)

Oh I can't wait to pick the Lucky winner and runner ups!

ATC Swap

                                                                                                                     Aren't ATC's the cutest ever!

I have a big binder that I keep all of the ATC swaps that I've been in. I can't wait to add these. They are just the cutest.

This was a swap hosted by the talented Anne_Sanborn. I hope I got everyones name correct. If not please let me know.

I'm loving all the wonderful Christmas ideas that the ladies came up with. So gorgeous.

Thanks Anne for hosting this swap. It was lots of fun.

Click on photos to see larger view.

Cherish Today

I found this cute little 3x3 inch album at my local scrapbooking store. How could I pass it up. Seriously, look how tiny and cute it is!

It comes raw, ready to decorate.

I decided to create an album that I could add images to later on.

I wanted the pages to stay fairly consistent in their appearance throughout. I used 3 different papers and varied their positions and placements on the pages.

On the home front. We have footers! And they passed the inspection so I'm hoping that our foundation will be in soon. Isn't that just exciting. I know I'm exciting.

With a foundation comes framing. Yippee!

I have lots to share within the next coming weeks. Lots of new images and news.

Raw Goods Bookboard albums by We R Memory Keepers, Swirls by Rhonda Farrer, Carte Postale by Stampin' Up!, Distress Embossing Powder Walnut Stain by Jim Holtz, Making Memory Embellishment 6x6 Paper,  Martha Stewart Paper, Marvy Square and Oval Scallop Punch, Harware and Twill ribbon by Stampin' Up!. Words by Impression Obsession and Stampin' Up!

 

From Our Home

I wanted to create something other than a card. Was in that kind of mood, KWIM?

This is a really cute, versatile set by Impression Obsession called From_Our_Home. It includes six really cute stamps. The mouse, candy, snowflake, ribbon and two sayings.

I bought a small notepad by Mead and by lifting one end of the wire on the coil, I  was then able to unwind it from the paper. I covered the front and back with scrapbooking paper. Then I punched the holes back in. I stamped the snowflakes using gold ink on the front and back covers.

Stamped the little mouse and colored him in using my Prismacolor pencils. Cut it out.

I used another great set (one that I'm really loving!) by IO Express_Yourself to stamp the background words on the brown. Christmas is one word from the "Merry Christmas" saying.

I added Diamond Glaze and Liquid Applique. (Add the Liquid Applique after everything is glued down. Also, add the Diamond Glaze after you heat the Liquid Applique.)

Recoil the wire back on the notepad. And attach the ribbons.

Ribbons from Michaels. (Sorry, I don't know by who. I just pick up ribbon whenever and take them off their spools.)

ATC Believe

ATC's are so much fun to make.

This is a stamp that I've used before by Impression Obsession, Kiss_Me. I just love this little mouse!

A sweet new member of the CHF Design Team, Anne_Sanborn, hosted a ATC swap. This is the first one I've done in a very long time, and it was really fun.

I stamped the mouse using Stazon black and watercolored him in.

(Remember to click on the images to see  them in a larger size.)

Well, we went to our property yesterday and  walked in some of the other homes going up. There's wonderful new landscaping going in the common areas, along with a ton of beautiful Oaks, Crape Myrtles and Willow trees. It looks so pretty. I can't wait until they stake off our home and start working on the foundation.

Meanwhile, I'm having fun walking through the other homes on the street and seeing their progress. Can't wait until it's my home I'm walking in!

So Very Cute

Alas, another Stampin' Up! set that didn't go into storage but I haven't used. Until now!

I really liked the words in this set and I had seen some really cute sample with it. But I just never got around to using it. So I thought to myself, "Asela, wouldn't that set be darling with the little lamb?"

I wanted something really simple to show off the lamb. I stamped her using Archival Black ink and colored her in using my Prismacolor markers. Then I took a small sable brush (0 size) dipped in acrylic paint and made some swirls for fur. Plus, I added some highlights on the feet.

I created a gift card holder by cutting a card in half.  Using my Cuttlebug to create a half circle on one side to fit in a slit I cut on the other side.

Now see the lambs expression? I used a marker to make the pupil in her eyes look to the side. Aren't I smart! LOL

You can find Sally_Sheep_here. Background is Cuttlebug embossing folder Bloom Dots.

Now I'm off to find some more neglected stamps that need some loving.

Inspire

Inspire. Such a wonderful word. I find myself drawn to it often. Using it in my artwork. Hoping that in small ways I inspire others.

I found this cute board booklet in my LSS. It's by Creative_Imaginations, Veronika gift card holder.

I covered the front and back with papers from Basic Grey Infuse pad. I glued Martha Stewart's twill brown ribbon onto the spin. Before gluing the papers on the covers I distress them and stamped some fun images from Impression Obsession called Flourishes.

The flower stamp is by me and you can find it at Cornish_Heritage_Farms. I stamped it in black and colored it in using my Prismacolor Markers. I only used the markers as a base color. I watercolored in all the details in the flowers and the shadows. I then splattered some brown acrylic paint all over the image.

Inside covers, I used Martha Stewart paper with some Basic Grey. Stamps are by Impression Obsession, Stampin' Up! and Hero Arts. And of course a pic of my cute boys!

I hope I have inspired you today.

Abuela

I haven't been sharing the publications that I have been in lately with everyone. I suppose with all that has been going on, I just lost track.

I didn't want to forget to mention this one.

This months Stampington's Somerset Studios   has published a very special submission that I sent to them a few months ago. It was a call for designers to use a technique that was shown in a previous issue. You were to print out an image on acetate and color on the back of it using arylic paints.

I have this beautiful picture that my Abuela (grandmother) left me. She had sent me a box full of pictures before she died. Inside the box I discovered a negative. When I had the negative developed I was happy to find out that it was a picture of her with her infant daughter. My namesake, Asela.

Asela saddly died in my grandmother's arms before her third birthday. My father promised himself that if he ever had a daughter that she would bear her name. Hence, how I came by the name Asela.

I remember, shortly before my wedding day, I went to visit my Abuela and I asked her about Asela. She tearfully told me the story of her short life and of her sad death.  I will never forget that.

I was so happy to have her beautiful picture publish in this issue.

Prismacolor Pencils and Markers

I went off this morning to my hair appointment. Nothing feels better than having your hair cut. I cut it nice and short. Who knows how long it's going to take me to find a good stylist back in Florida. (Finding someone who understands how to cut naturally curly hair is a challenge, trust me.)

When I got home it was quiet and the whole apartment was bright and cheerful. I just couldn't pass on the opportunity to create something. So I pulled out the stamps I designed for Cornish Heritage Farms. I realized that they are the perfect size for ATC (Artist Trading Cards.) Yeah!!!

All the images are stamped in black and colored in using Stampin' Up! Markers and Prismacolor pencils. So much fun to do!

When I finished coloring them all in I cut around the edges using Fiskar's Scallop edged scissor. (Draw a pencil line around the edge of the card stock as a cutting guide.) Then mounted the pretty edged cards on a background color. Whaaaa laaaaaa...cute ATCs! (The sayings are all by SU!)

I realized after coloring them in that some people may not be aware that you can use Markers and Prismacolors to color in an image on colored card stock. So here's a tutorial. Hope it's helpful.

Prismacolor Pencils and Stampin' Up! Markers

First stamp your image using black dye ink. No need to use Stazon black as the image will not smear. You can use any colored card stock you want. Experiment.

1. Color

Color in your image using the markers, being careful not to overlap the strokes.(Only one layer of markers.) I used Cameo Coral, Mellow Moss, and Summer Sun. You will want to have a piece of scrap paper that is the same color as your background. Use this piece to try out different markers to see which colors work best. (Because the paper is colored, it will slightly change the color of the marker once it is applied to the image.)

2. Shade

Using the Cameo Coral marker you want to go back over the flower in the areas that you wish to shade. Using Pumpkin Pie you can add some extra color to the yellow. (Remember to try out how colors will work over each other first on your scrap piece of paper.)

3. Highlight

Now the fun part. Using Prismacolor pencils you can add some wonderful highlighted areas to what you have already colored in with your markers. The first thing I did with this particular flower image  is turn it upside down, with the petals facing me. (I did this also for any other flower that I wanted the highlights to be on the outer edge of the petals.)

What this does is enable you to color towards the darker shaded marker area. Feathering the pencil into the marker. I apply more pressure in the areas I want lighter, less in areas that I want to blend into the marker.

Sample 4. Continue to rotate the paper so that it makes it easier to add the highlights you want. I used Prismacolors Deco Pink on the flower hightlighted areas.

Sample 5.  Using  Prismacolor's Yellow Chartreuse I added some highlights to the green leaves and flower buds.

That's all there is to it! Have fun. Experiment and enjoy created beautiful images using your Markers with Prismacolor Pencils.

All stamps were designed by me and can be found at Cornish_Heritage_Farms.

(You can click on the images to get a larger size.)

Stampington

I love all of the Stampington & Company publications. Catch Up, Legacy, Take Ten, Stampers' Sampler, Omgoshhhhhhh ...the list goes on and on!

One of my favorites is Somerset Studios. The artist in there really push the creative envelope. Gotta love it!

Well, I've made it! I actually have something I submitted published in this awesome magazine. Boy was I thrilled when I received the issue in the mail.

My little "Jar Fairy" was loads of fun to create.

Check her out in the issue on page 83. There are so many other wonderful creations to boot along side of mine. I'm really honored.

Also this month I recieved my issue of Take Ten.

I have one card in there on pg. 90. Also in this issue I noticed the beautiful cards of Lisa Johnson, Sarah Vrolyk, Julie Ebersole, Shauna Der, and Ethel Amutan. I'm sure there are many more wonderful creations that I may have missed.

Leave me a comment if you are in this issue along with the page number. I'd love to become familiar with your artwork.

Ink Spot

I created a new image for my Cafe Press shop. You can view some of the new products by clicking on the "My Cafe Press Shop" under photo albums (right hand side of my blog).

Or visit my shop http://www.cafepress.com/hopartstudio

Thanks!

Valentine's Day Promotion
January 15 - February 14, 2007
Free Super Saver Shipping on orders over $50*
(before tax and shipping)

Coupon: VDAYSHIP

* Excludes Custom Postage. Only applies to orders with a United States shipping destination, totaling $50 or more before shipping. Cannot be combined with any other coupons or bulk order discounts. Valid through February 14, 2007, at 11:59 p.m. (PST)

Hats Off

Baby it's windyyyyyyyyy outside!!!

Oh yea. Santa Ana's are a blowing again. Forget the hair! Forget wearing a skirt! Watch where you park that car, ouch....ding!

I have to tell you what happened to me today. I was going to go out and have lunch with a couple of girl friends. So I decided to stop by Target before hand. As I was checking my things out in line, through their garden center, my friend came walking in. Hi there.....whammmm!!!  bang!!!!

The airconditioning filter that the cashier had just rung up and laid back down got caught by a mighty gust of wind and smacked me right on the bridge of my nose!!! OUCHHHHH!!!

My girlfriend was in shock. She kept asking me if I was okay. Man did that hurt. I told her I thought so. To go on and get what she came for and I'd meet her for lunch.

I don't think it's broken. Thank God the filter was made of paper. Still man did it hurt. I got a small bag of ice at the restuarant and sat there with it on my nose...LOL. We all had a bit of a laugh about it. Go figure!

Hopefully I won't have a nasty bruise come tomorrow.

So here's to the wind.

Hats off to you!

Paper and stamps by Stampin' Up! Doodles drawn by me.

Images colored in using Prismacolor pencils.

Joy is Found in the Little Things

Happy New Year! It's a great thing to start the year again. An opportunity to meet new goals.

I've been having a blast with my new camera. My poor boys. I've been experimenting with all the different features by taking a ton of pictures of them. Thank God for the delete button! I'm really getting a better understanding of what it can do. Boy is this addictive!

I discovered some new sites. DigishopTalk is a great site. Love the gallery! So many wonderful digital scrapbook pages. I also have been visiting Two_Peas_In_A_Bucket . Both sites have a forum section and each has  digital camera tuturiols and hints. I also downloaded Photoshop 5's 30 day trail. I had Photoshop 2. Big difference between the two. Glad I started with 2!

I found this cute tiny chipboard book at my local scrapbooking store. It only measures 3 x 3 inches! Darling size!

I'm going to fill it with sayings and small pictures.

The paper on the cover is a handmade paper from the Paper Passport Collage Pad (Neutrals) by Provo Craft. Stamp and scrapbooking paper is by Stampin' Up! Used my square Marvy punch to punch it out.  I used Cuttle bugs oval die, Sliders, for the center.  Ribbon threaded through it was found at Michaels. Prismacolor pink pencil used to color in the bee.

Small chipboard book is by Creative Imaginations their be. line   www.CreativeImaginations.us

Altered Tuna Tin

Altered. To change. To modify. It's fasinating to me what we can do with everyday objects around us, turning them into something other then their orginal purpose. Very cool!

Well, I had one of these moments the other day while I was making my son a tuna fish sandwich. Yep, a 10 year old who loves tuna sandwiches! Well as I was popping open the small tin can I noticed that the container now had a smooth top. Ahhhhhhh Hahhhhh. What a cute sized tin!

I scrubbed the tin with hot soapy water. Then I sprayed it with Clorax cleaner and let it soak over night. No fishy smell. Wonderful!

I began to experiment and found that it was easy to transforms these tins by cutting strips of scrapbooking paper and running them through my xyron machine. Then it hit me. What if all those orange juice tin tops I've been collecting, for who knows what purpose, would fit? In a fit of joyous anticipation I placed the juice lid on top of the tin and much to my amazement it fit like a glove! My -o -my, I was jumping with glee.

Out came my Coluzzle circle template. Two same sized circles were cut, one for the lid and one for the inside of the tin. How cool is that! I added some embellishments and I was just tickled pink.

Now, I don't know if this idea has already been created by someone else. Honestly I haven't even searched to see if it has. But for me this was one of those moments that just makes this whole paper crafting adventure just so much fun.

(I used StarKist 3.0 oz tuna cans)

Happy Birthday

I met a very sweet lady during the first football season that my husband coached. Having just moved to California the previous year it was nice to meet someone from the east coast. It's unusual for us to meet a couple that we get along with both the hubby and the wife. You know how it is, you may have a friend but the guys don't hit it off. Or he has a friend and you just can't stand the wife! LOL. Well, luckily for us we all get along great.

I was making a few cards this month. My nephew, my mom and my new friends' birthdays are all this week. I think some of the funnest things to make are birthday gifts and cards. You always know that it's going to make them happy. 

My friend loves to shop. I think her idea of getting a good workout is hitting the mall. Hey, it does have 2 levels...maybe she does lunges as she goes up the stairs! He He He.....

The friends are colored in using Prismacolor pencils. The cellphones were colored using metallic gel pens.

Papers, stamp and purse template by Stampin' Up! Brads from Oriental trading post. Small Mod stamp by Hero Arts.

Little Gems of Art: ATC

I have been creating little gems of art for over a year now. I discovered ATCs while visiting Lisa Vollrath site. http://www.lisavollrath.com/pages/69 I thought it was a great way to push the limits of my paper crafting and a way to try out new techniques. I also loved the idea of collecting others small works of art.

ATCs have been around for a some time now. It began back in 1996. (The concept was created by swiss artist M. Vänçi Stirnemann.) ATCs are created only for trading  and collecting between artists. They are not to be sold. The fun thing about them is that there are no restrictions on them except for the general size. I love that! I can cut up magazines, use stamped images, use digital images or paint on them. Anything goes! How cool is that.

A great group to join if you are interested in getting started is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/artisttradingcards/

Take a look at all the wonderful swaps that they have listed. I always find something that I can't wait to join.

Okay, well what do I do with all the swapped ATCs I get? I keep mine in a binder. They fit right into the sleeves made for baseball card collectors. Whenever I have an artist block I can reach over and take a peak at all the wonderful works of art. It's so much fun to see how different each set is.

I like to have blank cards ready to decorate. I use a good quality white card stock that I cut down to measure 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 (ATC cards). You can also use other materials including fabric, wood, playing cards, tin, etc. Some people are now making circle and doll cards. Just remember that the finished art work needs to fit into the card sleeves.

Thanks to the wonderful ladies from around the world who's art I'm now a proud owner of. The ATC's you see here are from: Carrie Mercer, Mary Ganger, Denise Cooper, Cathy Tyler, Shari "Rtist, Vicky Martindale, Jan Ruhnow, Barb VanDusen, Pam Crawford, Mary Higby, L. Evers, Julia Pomietlo, Dawn Siegrist, Marie McClellan, JD, Cathe Muller, Nancy Profitt, Stacy Cartler, Victoria Tacott Warmell, Amy Hansen, Bonnie Shorr, Elizabeth Woodford, Barbara Manning. Hope I didn't forget anyone (some of the cards did not have names.)

Secret Sisters

I'm one of the coordinators for a Stampin' Up! Demos secret sister group on SCS. It's been a lot of fun working with all the ladies. It's a great way to send and receive cards and gifts from fellow demos.

This month we are having a contest and picking 6 winners. Here are the gifts I made. I used SU!'s cute scrapbooking paper, I covered post it notes and made matching RSVP pens. I'm also going to include some extra goodies in the bags and a congrats card! Oh I can't wait to pick the winners.

25 Cents

What do you do when your little boy hands you a bracelet out of the 25 cent machine as you walk out of the store? Well, in my case it gets the old brain a thinking. Hmmmmmmm...maybe I can jazzy it up a bit. Grab a few stamps. A bit of shrink plastic. Yup. That's it.

The animals are stamped using Stazon black and colored in with Prismacolor pencils. The flowers are stamped with Colorbox chalk ink pads, Stazon black and outlined in permanent marker.

Just had to add the bracelet to a Yankee candle jar I'm holding onto.

Man I'm gonna have to make some more of these. All those retired stamp sets  are calling to me. Use me...use me!