Hummingbirds are beautiful...

Hello again,

I fell in love with a card I made a long time again, and decided to duplicate it before giving it to a friend. I had so much fun, I made several!

First, I masked each card off with low tack masking tape, and left a narrow strip showing. I used my blending tool to blend two distress inks together. These two were created with Bundled Sage blended with Salty Ocean. Used water to create waterspots.

Then I removed the masking tape, and stamped the hummingbird with versamark ink and used a glittery black embossing powder. Then used my MISTI to stamp my sentiment straight.

These two were created by blending Picked Raspberry and lots of Salty Ocean.

On this bottom card, I tried a new twist on matting it in black. I tried to show just a sliver on top and on the bottom. I am not sure I like it. What do you think? I know you can not see it in the photos, but the hummingbird is very glittery. I wish the pictures did it justice! 

Supplies:

Stamps:  Allegro - Penny Black, Free flight - Penny Black, Mindscapes - Inkadinkado

Inks: Distress inks: Salty Ocean, Picked Raspberry, Bundled Sage. 

Paper: Neenah Solar White, black cardstock and Stampin' Up! colored cardstock

Thanks for dropping by! More to come.

Cindy

Using my MISTI

Welcome back!

Have you ever created a background or started a card, and inspiration stalled? I get that all the time. When it happens, I create a pile of my "unfinished designs" and they usually get shoved in a corner, or a drawer and forgotten.

This beauty was shoved away, and I finished it off and mounted it on brown cardstock. (not my usual go-to color) It turned out fabulously! I love the texture the birdcage gives to the background. It looks so planned.....I am encouraged when this happens.  Take a look:

To be honest, I am not sure all I used to create this card, But I recognize the stamp sets. Here are the details:

Card Details:

Stamps: Free Flight from Penny Black

White cardstock: Solar White Neenah

Black and Brown: SU! cardstock

Ink: Various Distress inks and black for sentiment and butterfly

Pink Dandelions, back to basics

Hello,
I have another creation to share with you. It was slightly different than yesterday's, but yet very similar. Simple yet powerful! Clean and Simple, take a look.

Card Details:
Stamps: Dandelions from Hero Arts, Made Sentiment in Word
Inks: SU! markers, various colors
Cardstock: Marcos papers, SU!

Back to School Day1 - I made it!

Can you believe that I taught all day, and still have energy to finish a handful of cards and complete a post? I tell ya, I am determined to make time for my cardmaking!

I am going back to the basics. As I mentioned before, I lost my mojo, and I am trying to spark my creativity again. What a better way to do it then to go back to simple techniques, and old favorites? I keep telling myself "Cindy, clean and simple is OK.....It's ok!"  LOL.... Do you talk to yourself to when you want to OVER-DO a simple design?  It works, I tell ya!

Very simple, but elegant:

Wow, I forgot all my photo tricks and everything! I'll get there, I will. I promise, the next set will be better. Enjoy, and I will see you soon!

StampFest at the Bay 2015

Hello everyone, welcome back,

     I just returned from Stampfest at the Bay here in Clearwater. It is a small, quaint stamp and scrapbooking expo held in a Greek church once a year. Each year I enjoy strolling in all the different vendor booths and coming home with some new toys. 

This year, I really wanted to invest in a few new ink colors. I was growing bored with my limited amount of colors and wanted to branch out. Just as I was about to leave, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a stand on the floor in one of the booths that read: " 50% off ". Low and behold it was an entire display of Hero Arts shadow and mid-tone inks! They were listed at $6.50 each, so 50% off was $3.25 each. You guessed it, I bought every color I could find. I found 8 colors I could not live without.

I am so pleased with myself. This is such a treat! I also found some pre cut cardstock layering papers, and some clear card gift cases I have been searching for. Other than that, I was not impressed with many of the stamp companies lines of stamps. I think I am just too spoiled with simon says stamp stamps!

No matter, I have a scrapbooking expo coming to Orlando next month. I need to save up for that, and see if I can find any great deals there too. Thanks for stopping by.

Christmas Creations on Thanksgiving!

Hello Everyone!

I have been busy enjoying my week off of teaching, and playing with all my new purchases from Simon Says Stamps! I know, it's Thanksgiving, but I have some down time until all the cooking starts. And believe me, after company leaves, I'll be creating more! Take a look at my newest creations:

Are they cute? I found this digital stamp here.  Using my copic markers I made him blue, and her pink! Matted with Pink cardstock on a black card. 

This is one of my newest purchases from Simon Says. It has a stamp, die set, and a stencil that match! Look here. the sentiment is from Hero Arts - CL540. I used some glitter paper and outlined the pieces with a black marker.

 I pulled out a favorite background stamp from Hero Arts. I heat embossed it with gold powder. I applied three distress inks with a blender pad, and added a die cut from Wplus9. and don't forget the fiber.

  I pulled out a favorite background stamp from Hero Arts again with white embossing powder, and added the sentiment from Simon Says.

  I pulled out a favorite background stamp from Hero Arts again with white embossing powder, and added the sentiment from Wplus9.

 The sentiment is from Simon Says.

 The sentiment from the same set: Simon Says.

I am having so much fun re-arranging my craft room, and playing with my new purchases. (Don't tell my husband) but Santa has placed two more orders for Cindy's stamping Obsession. But they will be under the tree for Christmas from the kids.

Featured Stamp Set: Petals from Scratch - Fiskars

Hello!
I was playing around in my craft room, and a simple card emerged. (Don't you love when that happens!?) I am sure I was inspired by a post I saw, although i can't give credit off-hand. It looks so spring-y, (although we are currently heading into autumn here in Florida) I wanted to share with you!

 I spend the other day researching PEERLESS water colors. They seem to be all the rage in card-making right now. I put it off and put it off, and decided that I can watercolor just fine using distress inks and all the other inks I own. I just can't afford to purchase every HOT item in this industry. (although some days I feel like I DAMN right deserve it) Maybe once the rage settles down, I will find a small "try me out set". Until then, I will hone my water coloring skills with other paints!

Supplies:
Flower stamp: Fiskers "Petals from scratch"
Butterfly stamp: Penny Black "free flight"
Sentiment: Penny Black "Allegro"
Ink: distress Inks and Embossing powder

Featured Duo: ...Moments...by Penny Black

Hello!
I am really enjoying all the new storage creations I have made. If you haven't taken a look, click here. They are keeping me organized, and I look forward to using my blending pads more often.

I sat down earlier in the week, and played with Stampin' up Perfect Plum. (I love that color) and designed a handful of beautiful pieces without a card or end goal in mind.(like the butterfly panel on the left card)

This butterfly is so versitile, I use it all the time. Check it out in this card.

This weekend, I assembled them into cards. I am pleased with the results. Take a look!

Featured Challenge: Poppies by Hero Arts & CAS(e) Challenge!

I had so much fun with my first challenge, I joined the next one...I think it came out very cute! Besides, I love receiving comments!  :)-

Supplies: Stamps: Poppies - Hero Arts, sentiment You Take The Cake - My Favorite Things  Paper:  , Neenah Solar White Cardstock  Inks: Paintbox pigment option pad, Tuxedo Black Tools/Punches/Dies: Sheer White Ribbon  Other: derwent Inktense pencils, gamsol, blending stump, rhinestones colored with pink marker

Featured Company: Hero Arts

Happy Sunday!
I recently purchased a stamp set from Joann's called Peeking posies. I opened up the package and began stamping with the four rubber stamps. I was upset to realize that the corner of one stamp was damaged, not by the retailer, but during manufacturing.

I thought...huh, I wonder if Hero Arts will stand behind their stamps? I went online and found an e-mail address to tell then my situation. Here is my letter:

Hello Hero Arts,

My name is Cindy Jones. I am an avid stamper, and absolutely LOVE your products. I placed an order online at Joann's.com and purchased your PEEKING POSIES stamp set. I was dismayed to find that the corner of one of the four stamps was damaged. The rubber was not formed properly. I was hoping you could help me with this matter as it seems to be a manufacturing issue, not a retailer issue. Is there a way to replace the one stamp? Have attached the purchase receipt from Joann's. 

Thank you for your time, I look forward to hearing from you,

Sincerely,

Cindy Jones

(I included my email, home address and telephone number)

I received a wonderful e-mail back saying that they love hearing from their customers, and they will send out that individual stamp to me for no charge. It arrived a few days later. What a great company! I will most definitely continue to enjoy their products! Way to go Hero Arts! I am a very happy customer!

Featured Stamp: Glass Vases by Hero Arts

Happy Saturday!
I sure do look forward to the weekends when I have time to create in my craft room and post my creations on my blog to share with you. I sure do enjoy it. Today's duo features a gorgeous stamp that I grabbed from a craiglist ad. What a great stamp! This makes for such a clean and simple card. I did not put a sentiment on them, but I think I might along the bottom when the occasion comes to it.Take a look:

Supplies: Stamps:Glass Vases - Hero Arts  Paper:  Neenah Cardstock  Inks: Yo-Yo Yellow, Bundled Sage, Tuxedo Black Tools/Punches/Dies: SU! markers.

Featured Duo: Wildflower Garden by Hero Arts

I enjoy searching splitcoaststampers.com for ideas and inspiration for my creations. I fell in love with a someone's card, and made these cards very similar to it. I wanted to give the artist a link, but I cannot locate the card now! (very frustrating). I even went back through my browser history to see if I could find it. No luck. Sorry....Enjoy!

Supplies: Stamps: Wildflower Garden - Hero Arts  Paper:  Real Red - SU!, Tempting Teal  - SU!, Neenah Cardstock  Inks: VersaMark - Watermark, Pink Passion, YoYo Yellow, Groovy Guava, Glorious Green, Brilliant Blue inks - SU! Tools/Punches/Dies: Fiskars Embossing plates whimsy and leaves, Exotic Butterfly small #2 - Cherry Lynn Designs Other: Fine White Embossing Powder, glue.

Featured Stamp Set: Pocketful o' Posies by Hero Arts

Hello All!
 I wasted no time experimenting with my new purchases. I have a duo to share with you using the Hero Arts Pocketful o' Posies.

On duo one, the three flowers are evenly spread apart, and colored with copic markers. Both cards are on river rock cardstock by SU.

On duo two, I used colored pencils and gamsol to blend the colors together. I used clear embossing on the edges and on top of each flower. The purple rectangle behind has been dry embossed as well as distressed and clear heat embossed around the edges.  The sentiment is embossed black to tie it all together.

Supplies: Stamps: Pocketful o' Posies - Hero Arts, Feeling Better soon 02 - Stampabilities  Paper: River Rock - SU, Perfect Plum - SU, Neenah Cardstock  Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, VersaMark - watermark, Copic markers, Colored pencils, Gamsol Tools/Punches/Dies: Paper distresser, Embossing folder Other: Black Embossing Powder, Perfect Plum ribbon

Purchase: Craig's list find!

I search our local Craig's list occasionally to see if there are any good finds on stamps and stamp supplies. I found a good one today. This gentleman's mom had passed and she had to been collecting stamps, inks and papers for years. I dug through boxes and draws of stamps, and found a few that made me smile (hero arts always does) and some odds and end items that I have never had the chance to own (white flock). I had to show you my finds! The cost....this is the good part, You'll have to scroll down to see the price. Take a look! (you may need a tissue to collect the drool...lol)

The price.....drum roll...$30.00 total! Can you believe it? That is a bit more than a dollar an item! Yes, these are used items, but a few of them are unused. To be truthful, the only REALLY beloved stamp in the bunch is the oriental writing background stamp. How about those adorable birds? He also threw in some older stamp magazines to get ideas from.... I can't wait to get stampin'! :)

Featured Technique: Blending with Masking Card Set

 I am beginning to think I have a hidden "clean and simple" style yet...I really love the simplicity of this set. The colors just pop. I chose flowers from three different sets with different sentiments. The bluebells are from Local King Stamps (Chicks), the set of 2 flowers is from Penny Black (Allegro) and the dandelion set is from Hero Arts (Wildflower Garden). This is going to make such a great gift. Enjoy!

Featured Set: Peeking Posies

Hello,

I just broke open my peeking posies! I saw this idea on Stamping Mathilda. I had to try it. I think these would have looked better on smaller square cards. I am am sure I will attempt this again soon. This set is epic! It is surely a keeper and a classic. (like the package states). My new colored pencils did a beautiful job on these flowers. Gamsol is fun to experiment with also. 

I am  transitioning from my old point and shoot to my Samsung galaxy phone camera. Man, I had to due some research on the orientation that is stored in the picture to ensure it is the correct orientation on the blog. This new technology is great, but the free blog software has not caught up to it yet! :)

Featured Set: Watercolor Petals by Hero Arts

Hello again,
I absolutely love the stamp sets I purchased from JoAnn's! I have only had time to play with one or two sets so far. I did run out of WHITE cardstock and had to place an order for Neenah Solar White Cardstock. Love that stuff. I bit the bullet and purchased a WHOLE ream from Ellen Hutson. Great site! I will be purchasing from her again. I even saved 10% by using a coupon code. (yahoo!)

Anyway, lets get to the cards, take a look!

Feel free to double click on the pictures to get a better look. I love my low-tack masking tape. I used all distress inks with the exception of the brown/orange one. I used a cat's eye pigment ink set I had. I don't own a brown/orange distress pad...yet. (keyword: YET...lol) I took thread and tied a bow on each card, with exception of the green one.