Stamp Act

Just Imagine.....

Hi!
I hope you all had a really nice day yesterday, I did!!  The weather was really rainy and cold so we just stayed in and I got to stamp!!!  Here is a card I did yesterday and it is not based on any challenge ~ can you say ~ ORIGINAL THOUGHT????  I actually did this one on my own and all because Michelle sent me a sample of this beautiful May Arts ribbon.

The base of my card is Basic Black and is 5" square.  Under the Whisper White scalloped piece is Tempting Turquoise (a color I don't EVER use).  I cut the scalloped using my Martha Stewart scalloped border punch.  I added SU! black flower rubons at each scalloped point and then added Waterfall Stickles to the centers of each flower.  The black and white polka dot paper is from KI Memories and then I added my May Arts Ribbon.  I just ran the ribbon around the card and used Scotch tape to tape it under my focal image.  I used my horizontal slot punch to punch the side of the focal image and tied another piece of ribbon in a knot.  The butterfly is from Starving Artistamps and is called a Small Freak Butterfly.   I stamped the image first on the Whisper White large piece and then again on a scrap piece of Whisper White using Basic Black ink.  I colored both butterflies using Prismacolor Pencils and cut the butterfly out that was stamped on the scrap piece.  I also added some turquoise Pearl Ex to the butterfly to add shimmer.  Here is a close up of that ~

Before I adhered the second butterfly on top of the first, I used my Scor~pal to emboss a box around the butterfly and then I added the SU! rub on sentiment.  I then took my Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder and embossed around the edges of the square.  I then used a glue dot to adhere my second butterfly, used my horizontal slot punch to punch the side and add the ribbon and then mounted the Whisper White piece on top of first Basic Black cardstock and then Tempting Turquoise.  I used dimensionals to adhere this to the top of the card.

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you all have a great day!

~Lynda

Starving Artistamps ~ Beautiful Butterflies....

Good Morning!
Here is another card I made for my design team submissions for Starving Artistamps.   I wish I could take credit for it but I really did CASE the majority of it from a magazine I have!!!

Before I forget (you know being 21 isn't as easy as it was the first time!!!) but if you haven't left a comment for my blog candy, you can do so HERE!   The deadline is 8pm (EST) tonight and I will post the winner right after!!!

Now, about the card.  The base of my card is Chocolate Chip with a mat of Basic Black and then the decorative brown paper from Basic Grey's Archaic Collection.   Just an FYI, Lindsey has the coordinating dinosaur stamps in her store and if you are interested, you can find them HERE!   They definitely will not last!!!  OK, the top layer has mostly rubons.  The flourish on the left and bottom corner are brown rubons from Basic Grey.  The Happy Birthday sentiment is also a rubon from Basic Grey and the smile sentiment is from SU!'s Eastern Elegance rubon sheets.  The red crystals are self adhesive and are by MAMBI.   The 2 butterfly images are from Starving Artistamps and can be found HERE and HERE!  The small butterfly is the small Freak and the bigger butterfly is called a large Batesia.
I stamped the small butterfly using Chocolate Chip ink and the large one was stamped using Red Colorbox Chalk ink.  That's it!  Super easy huh??

I won't do a recipe this time since I already listed the small amount of products above!  If you have any questions though, please don't hesitate to ask!

Have a great day!

~Lynda

Starving Artistamps ~ Silhouettes.....

Hi!
The following card is for my Guest Design turn for Starving Artistamps.   I will have a few more to share in the next few days!  This card uses the Poppies from the Large Silhouette Collection and the Pretty Backaground.   

The base of my card is Basic Black with a mat of Memory Box ~ Sprout decorative paper.  For the main focal image I first stamped the pretty background using Anna Griffin Purple on Whisper White cardstock.  I found the purple ink, unopened in my drawer so I thought, what the heck, I'll use it!  It actually has a little shimmer to it.  I had gotten it at Michael's a LONG time ago!!!  Anyway, I then used post it notes and masked off the thin white edge I left along the outside of the pretty background so when I stamped the silhouettes, they wouldn't come down to the white edge.  I first stamped the Baby's Breath Silhouette using the same lavender ink.  I then stamped the Poppies using Basic Black ink.  I stamped the Small Freak butterfly using Black Stazon and then stamped it again on vellum paper.  Once it dried, I colored the back of the butterfly with my Pale Plum marker.  I adhered it on top of the butterfly I first stamped using my Quickie Glue pen.  The ribbon along the bottom is narrow white organdy and the polka dot ribbon is from May Arts.   I used a silver buckle from the new SU! Hodgepodge kit and I added the same Heidi Swapp clear crystals that I put around the centers of the two poppies to the ridge of the buckle.  I broke the crystals apart and glued them INDIVIDUALLY on to the buckle!!!  I used my Quickie glue pen for a change!!!  I glued the ones on the center of the flowers with my glue pen too.  I added green MAMBI crystals to the centers of each flower.  I then matted the focal piece on Basic Black cardstock.

I hope you like it and if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask!!!

Have a great night!

~Lynda

Starving Artistamps ~ Roses for you.....

I have long admired these rose stamps from Starving Artistamps so when it was my Guest Design turn, I knew I wanted to use these stamps!  The colors I chose are not my usual colors although, I am really happy how it turned out!  Here it is ~

The base of my card is Old Olive with a mat of Basic Black and then Whisper White.  On the Whisper White piece I stamped the open roses from the set (which can be found HERE) using So Saffron ink.  These are 2-step stamps and actually are much prettier in real life.  I  used the same Saffron ink and I also used Old Olive on the single rose and leaves in the focal image which is also stamped on Whisper White.  On the leaves I also added some brown from my Prismacolor pencils to make them look more realistic.  The sentiment and butterfly are from the SU! Sale-a-bration rubon set (sorry, can't remember the name).   I added yellow Swarvoski crystals to the centers of the flowers, ends of the swirls and on each corner of the large piece where I used the ticket corner punch.  I used my Quickie glue pen to adhere these.   The butterfly was rubbed on Saffron cardstock and then I cut it out and mounted it using a dimensional.  The polka dot paper on the decorative corner is from KI Memories and was made using the technique I showed you HERE. I used my Crop-a-dile to add 2 black eyelets and then tied my olive ribbon which is from the Theatre ribbon originals set.  I also used my paper piercer and mat pack to pierce the larger floral mat.  I adhered the single rose using dimensionals.  You can click on the picture to see the details closer....

Stamps ~ Starving Artistamps ~ Roses   Ink~ So Saffron and Old Olive   Paper ~ Whisper White, Old Olive and Basic Black cardstock; KI Memories polka dots   Other ~ Prismacolor Pencils, Mineral Spirits, Crop-a-dile, black eyelets, Ribbon Originals ribbon, dimensionals, yellow Swarvoski crystals, Quickie glue pen, ticket corner punch, SU! Rubons, Paper piercer and mat pack.

I hope you have a great night!

~Lynda

A new technique!!!

Happy Easter ~ Again!!!
I hope you all are having a fun Holiday!  We worked around the house and ran some errands.  Of course these things were done AFTER Easter egg hunting this morning!!!

I have a new technique to show you today!  Now, don't get me wrong, this is a new technique to ME!  I am sure many of you have already done this but for those that haven't, it is really easy and fun!  It is along the lines of Polished Stone.  This card is my first try ~

The base of my card is Basic Black.  The next mat is some awesome decorative paper I had bought some time ago by Rusty Pickle.  The image is matted on Basic Black cardstock.  OK, now lets get to the image!  The first thing I did was to stamp the Starving Artistamp Daisy (18.02) on glossy cardstock using my Versamark.  I let this dry and then once the Versamark was dry I layered Ranger Adirondack Alcohol Inks lightest to darkest.  I started at the bottom of the images and added a few drops of Latte Alcohol Ink & a few drops of Alcohol Blending Solution and then wiped the color on to the glossy cardstock.  Latte was my lightest color and then my next darkest color was Caramel so I added a few drops of this color on to a new cotton ball.  With this color I started wiping about a 1/4 of the way up from the bottom and wiped the ink on the glossy cardstock all the way to the top.  The last color and my darkest is Ginger.  I used another cotton ball and wiped this ink starting around the center and going all the way to the top with this color.  The last step is to use another cotton ball and add some Alcohol Blending Solution to it and wipe from the bottom to the top to blend the colors and make it look more even.  I must say that the cotton ball leaves streaks so you might want to purchase the felt pads that are sold with the inks and blending solutions.  I am going to get some this week because I do think the look would be less streaked using the felt pads. 

OK, the final step is to spray (you want larger drops ~ not a fine mist) Rubbing Alcohol on the image.  Let this sit for a minute and then dab with a tissue.  You can then polish the image piece with a clean piece of felt. 

The sentiment is a Rubon from Basic Grey.  The flower centers are from Prima (they came in a can that had flowers & crystals) and they aren't really shiny but the color was perfect.  I used a glue dot to adhere them. 

Now for how I did my butterflies!!!  I have done this technique before and love the look!  The BEAUTIFUL butterflies are from Starving Artistamps and can be found HERE (small freak p1.6).   I stamped the butterfly (2 times) on a transparency sheet using Black Stazon.  I also stamped the butterfly on the focal image piece using the Black Stazon.  I then cut out the 2 butterflies from the transparency.  Once the butterflies were cut out I turned them over and used Misty Lavender Pearl Ex, a paint brush and Future Floor Wax to color the butterfly.  Once the Pearl Ex & floor wax dried (I did do a couple of coats), I bent up the wings and adhered the butterflies using a glue dot.  That's it!  Here is a close up of the butterflies ~

Don't forget that until the end of the month (3/31), you can get a 10% discount from Starving Artistamps on your entire order by entering code ~ lyndadis at checkout. 

I have another card to show you which I used this technique again but it will have to wait since my daughter is waiting for me to color with her!!!  Be back shortly!!!

~Lynda

The Negative side of the Cuttlebug!!!

Good Morning!
We are finally getting back in to our routine after a bit of a set-back last week!!!  Mary went to school today and her arm is feeling better everyday!  She was REALLY excited to see her friends. 

I got to do a little stamping this morning and really wanted to try today's technique challenge at SCS which was to give a negative effect on cardstock using ink and a Cuttlebug folder.  The complete instructions can be found HERE.   

The base of my card is Eggplant Envy with a thin layer of Whisper White then Basic Black and then the top layer that I ran through my CB is Eggplant Envy.  I used Black Craft ink to ink up my CB Floral folder and then ran it through the CB.  This is a really cool technique.  There is no end to the color combinations you can use!  The flowers are from Making Memories and I added Hero Arts Black Gemstones to the centers of all of the flowers.  I used Elmers glue to adhere the flowers on top of the card. 

The butterfly image is from Starving Artistamps and was stamped on Whisper White cardstock 2 times.  One of the images was cut out, colored and mounted on top of the second image.  I colored the butterfly using Prismacolor pencils and I also added lavender Pearl Ex to add some shine.  I used a dimensional to mount the butterfly.  I mounted the focal image first on Basic Black cardstock and then Eggplant Envy.  This was a very simple card!

If you are interested in purchasing any stamps from Starving Artistamps you can save 10% until March 31, 2008.  The details are HERE!   I will have a number of new Starvingartistamps to show you over the next few days so stay tuned......

Thanks for stopping by!

~Lynda

Pretty Pink and Kraft Flowers...

Hi!!!
My kids are off this week for Winter break so I have been quite busy although I HAVE been working on some things in between playing "Julie the cruise director"!!! LOL!!!  Today, my friends Lynn and Lisa and I took the kids on a guided tour of the Pentagon.  It was LOTS of fun and very interesting.  One of the best and worst part was the 9/11 memorial they have built.  They take you to the exact spot that the plane entered the building and then a little further down, have a beautiful memorial.  So sad to see all those names.....

I did this card the other day and hadn't had time to post it so here it is!  It is not based on any challenge, just my own idea ~ hmmmm.....  imagine that!!!! LOL!!!

The base of this card is Kraft cardstock.  I have always loved this color and need to use it more often!!!  The next mat is a light pink Bazzill piece with a mat of Holly Hill decorative paper which I have had for years!!!  I added Heidi Swapp clear crystals to each corner using my Quickie glue pen.  I used my Creative Memories oval cutter and cut a piece of Kraft cardstock.  I used my new Starving Artistamps Large Sillhouettes, stamped the center image using Versamark and heat embossed using white detail embossing powder.  I then used my sponge dauber and added Pretty in Pink chalk around the blooms.  I used a tissue to clean the chalk residue from my flower.  I then stamped the other 2 images using my Vermark and then let it dry.  I love the look of the watermark!  I matted this piece on Whisper White cardstock and then used my scallop scissors to trim the Whisper White into a scalloped oval.  I punched holes on each side of the flower stems and added my reversible May Arts ribbon and tied a knot.  The dragonflies are by Prima and can be found HERE.   I adhered the oval on the front using dimensionals and that is it!!

Should you be interested in any of the Starving Artistamps stamps, don't forget about the current special they are running and the design team discount of 10% on your entire order by entering my code ~lyndadis.  For more details, check it out here ~ HERE.   

Thanks for stopping by!

~Lynda

Limited Supplies Challenge ~ Signature Style

Today's limited supplies challenge at SCS was to use our own handwriting on a card.  I saw this color combo and had to use it! 

The base of my card is Barely Banana.  The next layers are first Basic Black and then Groovy Guava which I ran through my Cuttlebug and used a floral embossing folder.   The focal image is a new tulip stamp from Starving Artistamps.  I stamped the image using Basic Black ink on Vanilla Shimmery Cardstock.  I colored the image with my Prismacolor pencils and Mineral Spirits.  I wrote the "for you" sentiment using my Basic Black marker and then matted the image on Basic Black cardstock. 

There are a lot of new stamps at Starving Artistamps as well as a special offer from now until February 27th ~ Buy one full sheet of unmounted rubber stamps, get one sheet of cling for it free!   This offer is valid on new orders for full sheets only.  Also,  don't forget that you can also get a 10% savings on your entire order by using the following code ~

Enter Code ~ lyndadis in the discount code box in the shopping cart.

 

Enter this code in the discount code box in the shopping cart to get 10% off your next new website order.

Once you enter the code, click recalculate. 

you should see the discount come up.

If you do not see the discount applied immediately, stop and contact us at strvingartistmp@aol.com

do not finalize your order or your card will be charged the amount shown.

This discount can not be combined with any other offer.

Thanks for stopping by!

~Lynda

SCS ~ Sketch Challenge #157 ~ Elephant Birthday!

I don't know about you but I am just lazy.....  After weeks of preparing for the Holidays, I finally have had a day of not rushing around and just don't feel like doing ANYTHING!  I really do hate days like that because there still are things I need to do but just don't feel like it!!!   Well, I guess the only thing I CAN do is stamp!  I DID feel totally motivated to stamp using my new Elephant that I got in mail yesterday from Starving Artistamps.   When I ordered him, I had in my mind that I wanted to use my Cuttlebug tiny mosaic embossing folder for his body and couldn't wait to try it!  What do you think?

I really like how it turned out!  The layout is yesterdays sketch challenge at SCS.  The elephant stamp can be found HERE and the Happy Birthday sentiment can be found HERE.   The base of my card is Going Gray and is 5 1/4" square.  The decorative papers are from Daisy D's ~ Maybe Baby paper pack and can be found HERE.   You might want to try your luck at winning the paper first so check out my awesome give-a-way HERE.   Don't forget, you only have until 8pm (East Coast) tomorrow night to leave a comment to enter to win. 

OK, now, on to my card!  The gingham mat is on top of the Going Grey card and then the next layer is first Basic Gray cardstock, Whisper White cardstock and then the heart decorative paper.  The sentiment was stamped using Basic Gray ink on Whisper White cardstock and then I matted it on Going Gray cardstock.  The ribbon is pink SU! gingham and then a little piece of Basic Gray taffeta on the knot.  The flower and heart brads are some old brads I had.  I added Stardust Stickles to the center of the flower brads.

The focal image piece first has a mat of Basic Gray cardstock then Going Gray cardstock and then Whisper White cardstock on the top.  I stamped the elephant first on the Whisper White using Basic Gray ink and then again on Going Gray cardstock.  I ran the Going Gray piece (with the elephant stamped) through my Cuttlebug in the tiny mosaic embossing folder.  I then cut her out.  I cut her tail off as well as the flowers.  I then sponged over the mosaic embossing with Going Gray ink.  I painted her toenails using first my white gel pen and then added Stardust Stickles.  I did stamp her head one more time on a scrap of Whisper White cardstock so I could cut out the tusks and then glued them on the Gray image.  I taped the Gray body on the Whisper White image which then left the tail and flowers to be colored.  I used my Watercolor Crayons and a blender pen to color.  I added Stardust Stickles to the center of the bouquet as well.  Oh, I did use my black marker to color the eyes in a little and my white gel pen for the pupils so they would stand out a little more.  I LOVE this layout and fully intend to use it again!

Thanks so much for looking and don't forget about my give-a-way ~ see post below!!!!

~Lynda

Sketch Challenge #156 ~ Riding off into the sunset.......

This card is based on yesterday's sketch challenge.  I used my stamps (Western Background stamp, grass, horse and sun) from Starving Artistamps.   

The base of my card is Chocolate Chip then I used Cosmo Cricket ~ Chicken Little decorative paper.  This paper is so cool because one side has clouds and sky on it and the back side is a weathered blue color which is what I used to stamp the Western Background on using Chocolate Chip ink.  The horse was stamped on the cloud side of the decorative paper using Chocolate Chip ink.  I stamped the horse again on scrap paper and cut him out.  I masked him when I stamped the sun using Saffron ink and the grass using Close to Cocoa and Artichoke ink.  I used my watercolor crayons and a blender pen to color the horse.  I used my Creative Memories AND Coluzzle circle cutters to get the right size circles.  For the bottom circle, I used my scalloped scissors to add the decorative edge.  The flower was a gift from Lindsey and the ribbon I bought from Lindsey.  The brad is a Making Memories aged copper decorative brad.  I used my distressing tool on all edges.

I got my Spellbinder Wizard delivered last night!!!  Now I need to figure out how to use it!!!  Sorry for the quick post but I have lots of new things to play with and post!  Have a great day!!!!

~Lynda