Thank you cards with all those flowers

I decided to turn all the flowers into "thank you" cards for Kerry to send out for the gifts he received during his surgery. So, if you read my blog - don't expect one - yours is here! LOLOL!!!

On this one, the sentiment is inside

I didn't make a video of this flower, it's just to easy. Cut scalloped rings, cut in half, fold over with a brad in the center - fun, huh?

Might have to do more of these:

When you make the whole background match, the flower really stands out:

Another one:

I could have done them all the same, but what's the fun in that? So variations you can make using the videos I've done over the past 4 days. And of course, you can cut these in fabric, metal, leather....anything. Give it a try!

Finally, with just petals I had left over, I put this cute card together:

Quick, easy, fun.....I hope the recipients enjoy them as well!

Thanks for watching the videos. I'm off working on more!

Video # 4 - nestabilities flowers

This video shows you what 1 additional fold and 3 sizes smaller will do to change a flower. You can truly play with these over and over - again, the possibilities are endless.



Direct link to the video is here

Check back tomorrow night and hopefully I've got some cards done to show you the final product. After all, I'm not just making videos - I'm making art!

Video # 3 - nestabilities flowers

Could I have any more fun? I am so grateful to Kerry for all the video equipment and editing software he buys - I get his hand-me-downs to play with! LOL!

Tonight's flower is a little different because the way you fold it automatically gets you a built in background.



Direct link to this video is here

Give it a try and post back here and let me know your results!

Friendly plastic card making

Hard to imagine that these are actually embellishments made from Friendly Plastic Pellets!!! Easy as 1 - 2 - 3!!!

1. Melt pellets in skillet. Add color, press into mold, cool

2. Tear hand made paper 2 1/2" x 4" and place on top of card. Place embellishment on top of that

3. Hand write your very own sentiment.

That last one is my favorite. How about you? Which one do you like the best? Mom will pick the cat, for sure!!!

Stop by the Amaco booth at CHA and I'll show you how to use Friendly Plastic Pellets, a large variety of colorants, and Krafty Lady molds to make quick easy embellishments for you cards and layouts.

I can hardly wait for the party to start!!!

Metal cards make it bling!

If you are having trouble getting you Spellbinder's pendant dies to cut....try them in Amaco's Art Emboss pewter! They cut perfect the first time! And my camera just saw so much bling it couldn't really get this photo as pretty as the card actually is! I used Creative Impressions silk ribbon on the bottom and stamped using a sentiment from MSE! Must be a "Colorado" day around here!!!




And is this too cute? A Quickutz die...masked and airbrushed and then just a hint of repousse to give it a little dimension. She's done in pewter as well.....I just seem to like it better than other metals. But tomorrow, I'll be working on recoloring Amaco's metals so you can match it to any piece of paper you want! How cool is that?



Quick and easy cards that just say "wow".

Oh, inside the ballerina is my stamp that says: "Dance each step of the art you create!!!"

Crafts n things

I'm in the latest issue.....can you believe I literally forgot what I had submitted to them and had to get the magazine before I could share??? LOL!!!



The coolest part of this is that I've used my very own rubber stamps on the cards! So Lucy McGoo has finally made it into a magazine! Woo Hoo!!! :o)



You can purcahse the stamps directly from me or from After Midnight Stamps.



There are only 36 stamps total (so far) and they come on 3 full sheets of unmounted rubber. But if you catch After Midnight at a local show, you can buy them individually cut up in the bins. I know - I know, I need to get busy and get the next set done, huh? Well, all in good time!!! For now, I'm going to enjoy the fact that these 2 got published!

My funny for the day!

On our way up to Julian, we stopped to get Velta some eggs. Ok, I thought perhaps a couple dozen eggs. But no....she had ordered 2 flats of 3 dozen each....that's SEVENTY TWO eggs!!!



When is the last time you even thought about using up 72 eggs before they went bad? Well, this woman bakes it all...from biscuits to pies and everything in between!



And just look at her stove. Is this gorgoues? It looks like an antique wood burning cook stove, but it's brand new, with electric burners on top! So cool!



No....it does not make me want to take up cooking again! LOL! But I'm amazed that anyone today still orders 72 eggs at a time! Just so much fun!

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Classes are going so well, and just so much fun. I lay my head on the pillow every night with a huge smile just recalling the fun moments throughout the day. There are some wild and crazy artists in San Diego.....and some fantastic card makers! We sure had fun yesterday with our little "who can make the most cards" class. Now, if you were in that class and you make more than 8 cards, send me a note as I forgot to give you the prize for the most!

*****

I think tonight I'd best have scrambled eggs for dinner!

Practice playing

Same stamp lines as yesterday, same inks, but instead of a cuttlebug background, this is braille paper.



I used cut n' dry foam to bring in Stream, Peeled Paint and Fired Brick. Then a little Spiced Marmalade and Vintage Photo. You know, it's so true....it's good to play. And you must keep in practice!

Have you played today?

Playing with my new toys!

Isn't this just too cute?



The little girl and wagon are by Pink Persimmon the "Little Red Wagon" set. And the sentiment is from Cloud 9, Simple Thoughts - Happy Birthday. Background is a cuttlebug embossing folder and tea dye distress ink with the burnt edg technique on cream and brown paper.

I'll be teaching collage stamping on my next trip to San Diego - this is just a simple example.

I'm still not a card-maker!

but I'm at mom's this week and we are making cards like crazy! And we stopped at a Stamp of Excellence - my favorite little stamp house here in Canon City. I only picked up a "few" new stamps! Dare we define "few"???? LOL!!!

I liked this little gal, but added a flourish to her flourish.



And although I didn't really like this gal at first, after I added multiple flourishes and a flower....I think she has great possibilities! Love using the white pen on the background paper.



But this is my favorite. Isn't she just too cute? And of course, all the sentiments are wonderful (perfect!) as well. I've added a "blossom" from Creative Impressions.



I think mom is going to keep these and send them to my Great Aunt Mildred in Indiana. But what fun, sitting here with mom and all her friends making cards! Just a great way to play!

If you want any of these stamps, just call Judi at the stamp house!  719-275-8422.  And tell her to look at my blog!  I have no idea what the names of these stamps are, but I'm sure she will know!  And we bookmarked my blog on her computer....so I'm sure she'll be happy to ship them to you!!!

Just helping you spend your money and making sure the town mom lives in continues to flourish!!!

ABC = Artist Business Card

ATC = Artist Trading Card
BC = business card

So, I've created ABCs - Artist Business Cards. Same size as an ATC (2.5" x 3.5"), but you create art to put on the front of it with your contact information and a mini resume on the back of it!

Shall we see if this takes off as the next trend? Feel free to link this blog to any site you want to share this with!


I do a very limited edition of these and do trade them just like you would an ATC. Then I print and hand them out as a business card. Sure is fun!!!

My very first ABC:





And the most complex ABC thus far. It's a copy of the real thing which is mesh wire, clipped, curled and beaded with a diecut Star of David in the center. This is on a diecut pewter scroll which is over fabric paper that was stamped and painted with a gold rub n' buff mixed with rubbing alcohol.



It flips up with a poem inside. Behind the poetry screen is a Star of David, dreidels and olive branch embedded into a mix of decorating gel and alcohol inks.

More than what meets the eye? Sort of like the gifts in our lives.



And the mini resume on the back.



I rarely do anything so intricate as this, keep in mind it is just 3.5" tall...so tiny little things! But it was fun..and I LOVE the poem. Now, reread it and think of the gifts in your life....

There's the gift of life...
the gift of being

There's the gift of you
And all we're sharing

There's the gift of time
Of days unending

The gift of wisdom,
The gift of aging.

But the greatest gift
That I'm perceiving

Is the gift for those
Who keep believing.

These are the gifts in my life today. I truly am blessed. And what better way to share my gifts and my beliefs than sharing them on an ABC that I can hand out to others?

ABCs....I think it's time we told the world who we are as artists!