Virtual Convention coming to RSC May 3 - 7 2012

Do you like attending rubber stamp conventions?  All those companies gathered in one place, selling everything needed to create paper crafting "master pieces".  What's not to love right??

Except maybe the long drive if you don't live close by or maybe there is a scheduling conflict that keeps you from attending.  How about the standard convention food, of which the best stuff always sells out before you stop to eat.  Would you like to not have tired feet when it is all said and done, maybe even do your shopping in your pj's...

When the Rubber Stamp Chat forum was started years ago, Amy aka XrayAmy the owner started a tradition called the "Virtual Stamp Convention".  It was a new concept where a special area was temporarily opened up at the forum for stamp companies to sell their stamps and other supplies at special RSC member discounts.  The convention usually lasts for one weekend only but you can shop around the clock, until you drop.

Each company that signs up to participate has a thread on "the convention floor", that they can list what they sell, explaining discounts and specials they are offering RSC members that weekend. Their thread usually includes links and special discount codes, some have even created a special web page that can only be found/accessed thru the RSC convention. 

There is also a place for members of RSC to start discussions about what they have purchased or anything else convention related that they want to "Chat" about.  We been known to start virtual "happy hours" where we pretend we are actually together in one place enjoying margarita's or something and discuss the snacks we are eating while we shop online.   Virtual food is calorie free you know so worries about blowing that diet you are on.  Basically we just get plain silly and have fun enjoying each other's virtual company!

Oh yeah, the comment about shopping in your pj's.   Well certain members really have been know to stay up all night surfing the web in said pj's, checking out all the vendors attending the convention with a credit card at the ready.  So come check it out Thursday May 3rd - Monday May 7th.  Just don't say I didn't warn you when you shop in your jammies!!

Easter Card and a preview

This is the Easter card I made for my son this year, nothing cutsie.  It's simple, masculine and full of love.  He is after all a young man now and not a little boy, sigh.  I used Versafine Sepia ink, Spellbinder dies, a Cuttlebug Embossing folder, foam tape, white cardstock, handmade (but not by me, lol) cardstock and stamps to make his card.  The bunny and eggs stamps are from Eureka Stamps and the sentiment is from After Midnight.

This is a preview of my "how to" post for next week....  Hope you have a great weekend and be sure to check in next week for more about the above picture.

Coloring on Black Cardstock

A friend over at Rubberstamp Chat started a thread/list of techniques that can be done with black cardstock recently.  I had seen articles about using white or other very light colored pencils as a base that you then color over using the actual color you want in stamp magazines a few years ago and have even seen it talked about in non stamping colored pencil how to books.  According to the books even dark colors that would usually disappear on the black cardstock will show up this way.  I mentioned the technique which of course then resulted in a request for the above example.

As you can see not only do the colors you try to color with but the quality of the pencils can make a difference as well.  You can however use even cheap (Crayola) or a mid range priced (EKS-E K Success) pencils to enhance your stamped image.

After making the example chart I decided to make a card with this technique and my Prisma pencils.  I stamped my images in white ink and let them dry completely, do not emboss your images.  After the images are dry go over everything with a white pencil, redrawing all lines and filling in with white where needed.  You will notice that I did not fill in the flower petals and leaves on this example completely.  I wanted to keep the spiral detail of the stamp image and coloring in the whole thing would have resulted in solid petals and leaves instead. 

I selected this flower image so you could see the difference the white pencil underneath made.  It also is a reminder to think ahead before you color everything in white, don't get carried away and lose the detail of your image. 

You can really see the difference the white makes on the leaves and grass.  I used darker colors for both of those and without the white underneath the greens really do dissappear.

One other trick I learned recently.  If you place a textured surface underneath your cardstock when coloring in, you can get some wonderful results.  Not only can it emboss the paper but the color you use "skips" across the surface instead of filling in completely.  If you want to get the texture without the embossed effect then use the side of the pencil and a very light touch instead.  You will still get the appearance of texture without pressing in the surface of your paper.  I hope on the picture below you can see not only the bumps but the flecks of turquoise on the dragon flies wings where it colored only the raised parts of the wings.

Here is the finished card:

The flower is from DMD-Creativity Inc and the dragonfly is from Beeswax.  The bright happy colors I used help balance out the darkness of the black cardstock.  I smile and think Spring whenever I look at this card.  Hope you give coloring on dark cardstock a try and be sure to let me know what you think once you have. 

Have a great day!!

One of those "hard" cards to make

One of  my least favorite and most difficult cards to make is for someone with a serious illness such as Cancer.  I never know what to say in these cards other than so sorry and/or thinking of you and that seems so inadequate.  When someone is going thru treatments and the outcome is unknown though, it really is all you can say.  It always seems to be enough however, once the recipient opens the card.  To them it is more about your caring enough to take time for them.

I just found out that my new next door neighbor is going thru Chemo for lung cancer and this is the second time he has had to do so.  He was given only 6 months 3 years ago.  Each day since has been a gift for the couple but the news that the cancer was growing again was quite devastating none the less.  The fact that I haven't gotten to know them yet makes card made even more difficult.  Thankfully inspiration struck and the above card is what I came up with.  It's simple and pretty to look at, without being too feminine.

I used a damp sponge to applied diluted distress inks on hot press watercolor paper.  The colors I used are Spiced Marmalade, Crushed Olive and Peeled Paint.  Once the ink/paper was dry I stamped an image from Stamp Oasis/Rubbernecker called Forest Cathedral with a Versafine Vintage Sepia ink pad.  The image is actually larger than I wanted so I then trimmed some of the image off and used only the center portion.  I use only a portion of images a lot.  I cut part off or I ink up only the section I want using the corner of an ink pad.  It is a great way to get more use out of the stamps you have.  You might want to keep that in mind next time you are stamp shopping, great way to stretch your $$$$ and get more use out of those stamps.

You will notice I cropped the top corners only of both the image and the green CS I matted it onto.  This visual "trick" helps enhance the archway or Catherdral effect of the stamped image.  I also used a white gel pen to color in the doves at the top of my image, they looked odd speckled in colors of orange & greens.  That is the only coloring I did to the image though.  I then glued the matted image onto white cardstock that has vertical line texture.

Next I stamped the bible verse from Stamp La Jolla in the same Sepia ink I had used already.  I cut  it out leaving a very small margin of white all the way around.  While it was drying I cut a Spellbinder Fancy Tag 2 die.  The bible verse is longer than the die so I cut the tag in half and glued the halfs on to the the back of the bible verse.  I added the bible verse tag to my card using foam tape.  It slightly overlaps the stamped image and this eliminated that visual conflict.  It also helps with the feeling of going into the forest.

Lastly a simple Thinking of you stamp (by a company no longer in business)  using Sepia Brown again for the inside and it was ready to deliver.

So next time you need to make "one of those" cards don't get overwhelmed by the task.  Making a card by hand is what they will remember, not what the inside of the card says.  Lastly a big thank you to my RSC family for helping me work thru that same feeling of "what to say" and reminding me to just keep is simple.  Y'all are the best!!

Just a couple of tags I made

These are tags I made one evening while trying to get my creative muse going again.   I use white cardstock on both of these but the one on the left is on glossy cardstock and the one on the right was made using regular CS.

The tag on the left:  I first took the Cuttlebug Script embossing folder and inked the side where the images are depressed ( pushed in) with Old Paper Distress ink and ran it thru my Big Shot.  This gives the background color and leaves the embossing the original color.  The three flowers at the bottom are a Sizzix die.  I added glitter glue that matched the fairy image I wanted to use on my tag.  The fairy image was a RAK, so I'm sorry I cannot tell you who makes it but came with areas already accented with glitter and using the same silver glitter on the rest of the tag ties it all together nicely.  Next I cut out an oval using a Spellbinder die and used Old Paper distress ink around the edges, leaving the center white.  I then stamped the sentiment from Innovative Stamp Company using Marvy Pink sentiment.  Then I stamped the flower clusters which is a peg stamp from Rubber Stamp Tapestry using the same pink ink pad.  I added silver glitter to the centers of these flowers like the once at the bottom of the tag.  I then  decided to change things up just a bit and added a white iridescent glitter to the edges of the oval.  This way it matches the rest of the tag because it has glitter on it but the difference in color is slight enough to help draw attention to it.  To reinforce the tag hole I added another  Sizzix flower die that I added the same glitter color as the oval since it would mostly be covered up by that oval and I wanted it to blend into the background.  I used foam tape the adhere the oval so it was slightly raised above the fairy graphic.  The rose at the bottom was cut from a tissue box.  I then use colors of glitter glue that matched the image.  Once dry I glued it to the bottom of the tag from the back side.  A bit if ribbon and done.

Tag on right:  I first stamped a face stamp from Lost Coast using Tattered Rose Distress ink color.  I then masked that image and most of the tag before stamping a script stamp from Rubber Necker using Old Paper Distress Ink.  Other images used on the tag are: Stamp image and paint brush are both by Lasting Impressions with Panache using Tea Stain and Broken China ink; Wizard by Lost Coast was stamped with Old Paper and the girl at bottom (also from Lost Coast) was stamped multiple times with Tea Stain; lastly the rose and leaves are Rubber Stamp Tapestry images and were stamped using a very old green pad from PSX and a reddish color called Henna by Ancient Page.  Once everything was dry and all masks had been removed I used Old Paper ink around the edges of the tag and then colored the images using chalk pastels.  I sealed the tag to keep the chalk from rubbing off.  Lastly I added fabric strips (scraps really) and embroidery floss for ribbon.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Remember Me

I am so sorry to have abandoned you.  I should have known that trying to start a blog my son's senior year would be tough.  In addition to that I have been in a major creative slump, ugh!!  Stress of everything that has been/is going on had been nipping at my heels for a while and caught up with me finally I think.

I do have a few pieces to share including my Mardi Gras doll but in the mean time I hope you like the ATC I made in way of an apology.  Notice the texture in the Tree trunk, I used a Fiskar texturing plate.  The tree is from Eureka stamps and the fairy is 100 Proof Press.  Colored with chalks except for the fairy's wings which I used irredecent Twinks on.

I have also been doing some major cleaning/re-organizing of my crafting room because of this:

An all stop, while I looked for new shelving definitely was a priority before everything came crashing down but weeks later I'm still at it.  What a mess!  Here are a couple more before pics: I'll take some pics of the now over the weekend and post them next week.  Just remember the room is still a work in progress. 

Later y'all, it's trash day and I need to do some more "work" in my stamp room before they get here.....

Valentine Cards

Here is the card I made my husband for Valentines day:

and here are some close ups as well:

I used Tattered Rose and Old Paper Distress inks on this card and the rosette which I made with the Eyelet Pendant dies from Spellbinder.  I also used the Labels 8 set to create the sentiment plaque up top.  The heart I created by die cutting 5 hearts from a Sizzix set, 3 using the same colors as the rest of the card and 2 a matching peachy pink  pearlescent cardstock.   Some bits or ribbon and a button and done.

I made my son a tag instead of a card, he's a teen and the way to his heart is .... well FOOD!  The ribbon down the middle is a sticker - looks real ribbon doesn't it.  The heart tag and name plaque are Sizzix dies.  I stamped several different "sayings" on the heart from a set that is no longer available.  The embossed heart cardstock is more of the pearlescent cs in another color that I ran thru a heart embossing crimper and then cut into strips.  The cherub is from a package of dies I got on clearance forever ago.  Found out why the stuff was super cheap when I got home.  Weird colors!!   This cherub was originally green, ummm ick but a little acrylic paint and now I had a very shiny and beautiful cherub to use on my card.

Have a great weekend.  I hope to have my Mardi Gras doll done and mailed out soon.  Once the recipent has received it I can share some pics of her.    I have received my MG doll and all I can say is WOW!!  I was blown away when I opened her up and more than a little intimidated to create something even close to that level of "majesty" with my doll.  Thank You. Thank You. Thank You. Pat aka CritterPortraits, what a true treasure she is!!


I will try to get some pics to show you of her as well but it is going to be dark, dreary & rainy all day today. 

At least Texas is getting rain, we still need lots to refill the lakes around here.