Gratuitous Graffiti!

I had been wanting this stamp, *Gratuitous Graffiti* for a long, long time - so imagine my joy when I found out that I had earned a free stamp set from Stampin' Up!  During Sale-a-bration, you can earn free stamps according to how much your sales are. Woo-hoo!  I was so excited!

I just love the grungy, shabby-chic-ness of this stamp design, I think it's just awesome and there's so much you can do with it artistically.  I also love that it's all about thankfulness and gratitude, AND in different languages!  

So, to make this card I decided to heat emboss the stamp image on plain Whisper White cardstock using Versamark and Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder with my Stampin' Up Heat Tool.  After it cooled down I sponged on different colors, using each color of ink to highlight the different words.  I used cut up pieces of sponges and picked up ink straight from the ink pads, swiping the sponge over the ink pad repeatedly until it had a good amount of ink on it.  Then I dabbed the sponge onto the cardstock directly over the words.  Each word would emerge as I dabbed the ink on, it was really fun to watch.  Finally I made a shadow around each word with a permanent Sharpie marker, giving the words more definition.  Ain't it coooool?  I can't wait to make more!!!

To order any of these products, click on this link to go to my Stampin' Up storefront!

~SUPPLIES~

Stamps: Gratuitous Graffiti Background Stamp

Cardstock: Pink Passion, Basic Black, Whisper White

Inks Pads: Regal Rose, Rose Red, Always Artichoke, Real Red, Summer Sun, Pretty in Pink, Orchid Opulence, Pumkpin Pie, Pink Passion

Accessories: Heat Tool, Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder, Sponges

Inspired by Nature!

This is one of my all-time favorite Stampin' Up! stamps, *Inspired by Nature*.  Isn't it a beaut?  (the stamp, I mean).  It's so cool, it's a double-mounted stamp - on one side of the wood block is this stamp image, and on the other side of the stamp is a matching long grassy stamp!  The two of them go perfectly together!

This stamp is also perfect for using with watercolor wonder crayons, or with the Stampin' Up! markers.

On this card I've used both sides of the rubber stamp.  Do you see how the long grassy image compliments the flowers?  I also used Stampin' Up!'s water-based markers and directly inked up the stamp using various shades of pink.  After I colored the entire stamp, I stamped it on whisper white cardstock. 

Here you can see the flower stamp used alone without the long grass.  

I basically did the same with this one.  I colored in the stamp with Stampin' Up!'s water-based markers *Tempting Turquoise* and *Summer Sun* and then stamped it on the specialty cardstock, *whisper white* which is an ultra smooth, silky and absorbent cardstock.  Do you see all the little black and grey dots in the background?  Those were done with the *Itty Bitty Backgrounds* set, which is a must-have for creating subtle shading and interest.  I also added touches of highlights with a white Stampin' Up! gel pen and Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker.

So, where is this stamp set, you ask?  Why don't you see it in the catalog?!

That's because Stampin' Up! has a *dormant* (sleeping) list!  It's basically all the stamp sets that are not seen in any catalog but still available for you to buy!  You can download, view and print it by clicking right here!

TO ORDER ANY OR ALL OF THESE PRODUCTS, CLICK HERE NOW!

~SUPPLIES~

1st card:

Stamps: Inspired by Nature, Best Yet (retired)

Cardstock: Rose Red, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White

Inks/Markers: Regal Rose, Rose Red, Close to Cocoa, Certainly Celery & Old Olive Stampin' Write Markers

Accessories: Scallop Square punch, Pretty in Pink 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals

2nd card:

Stamps: Inspired by Nature, Itty Bitty Backgrounds, Thank You Kindly

Cardstock: Basic Black, Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White

Inks/Markers: Basic Black, Tempting Turquoise, Summer Sun, Pumpkin Pie, Certainly Celery & Green Galore Stampin' Write Markers

Accessories: Basic Black 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, white Stampin' Up gel pen

~CATS~ at Heart & Soul Rubber Stamp Co!

Meeeooooowwwwww!  Halllloooo!  It's fun and funky kitty time over at Heart & Soul Rubber Stamp Co.!

Isn't this the fun-kiest cat face stamp you've ever seen?!  It's one of the new releases that Sue has in the *New for 2009* catalog supplement! 

This little kitty is bloomin' out of control!  Look at her grow!  lol!!!! Hee hee! 

When I was thinking of different ways to use this cat face I kept thinking that it should go along with a body so here is my first attempt at a cat body!  I brayered the body with Stampin' Up's! Basic Grey classic ink pad, and colored the tip of the tail with a white gel pen.  The face was colored with Stampin' Up's! Watercolor wonder crayons and markers. There are two sizes of this stamp available in large and small:  1577-little whiskers and 1821-big whiskers.

There are also two brand new stamp sentiments that go along with this kitty face: *13119-bless your whiskers* as shown on the card and *11025-what's meww* which reads "What's Meww With You?" in the same font. Check out all the new stamps here!

Supplies

Inks: Stampin' Up! Basic Grey classic ink pad; Petal Pink, Bashful Blue, Real Red,  Summer Sun, Gable Green Stampin' Up! markers.

Papers: Stampin' Up Basic Black and Baja Breeze, misc. designer paper

Accessories: Brayer, white gel pen, black brads, flower punch, Stampin' Up!'s pop-up dimensionals, ribbon, heat gun, white embossing powder, Stampin' Up!'s Aqua Painter, Stampin' Up!'s Watercolor Wonder Crayons, Stampin' Up Paper Snips.

New Releases at Heart & Soul Rubber Stamp Co.

Hey all, there are new releases over at Heart & Soul Rubber Stamp Co.!!!

Spring is in the air and so are new releases at Heart & Soul!

Sue has some fun new stamps - check out three jam-packed pages of fun, new and inspirational stamps, just in time to get your springtime creative juices flowing again!

Let me introduce you to *12064-affectionately*, isn't it the cutest little stamp?  I paired it with a neat little origami popsicle - can you believe it's just one piece of paper? How did I do it? It wasn't extremely difficult but it wasn't all that easy either!  I must have re-folded it over 15 times until I got it to look right. The pattern is courtesy of Gilad Aharoni.  I was searching the internet for neat and easy origami patterns and came across his website *Gilad Aharoni's Origami Page* and that's where I found the popsicle pattern.  He has folded some pretty awesome figures, you must check it out!

For the stick part I drew in those woodgrain marks with a Stampin' Up *Sahara Sand* marker.

Supplies

Inks: Stampin' Up! Glorious Green, Real Red, and Sahara Sand markers

Paper:  Stampin' Up! Glorious Green and Yoyo Yellow cardstock, designer paper, origami shimmering paper

Accesories: Stampin' Up! pop-up dimensionals

Heart & Soul Rubber Stamp Co - Hands #2, Masculine

Here is another card made with Heart & Soul Rubber Stamp Co's beautiful stamp --*hands* 1806-hands.  Both this card and my other one were created with Copic Sketch markers and Copic's mini airbrush nozzle/pen holder and air can. (ABS-2). At first it takes some getting used to, but after a few tries you begin to get a feel for where the ink will be spraying, and how dense/light the ink is coming out.  The results are pretty cool, huh?  The same effects can be created with a craft sponge and ink pad, or Tim Holtz's Blending Tool.

Sue Wiebold, the owner of Heart & Soul Rubber Stamp Co has a blog, PurpleStamper's Musings!  Be sure to pay a visit!

(This card is going to the American soldier I *adopted* who's fighting in Iraq.  It will go with a little care package of treats! I wanted to give him a little reminder that no matter what happens to him or where he is, God is in control - always.  And God loves Him.  That's why He gave up His only begotten Son!  Can you believe such love?)

Anyhoo, back to the card!  I usually never use pre-printed sentiments but I've had this sheet of EK Success True Faith stickers for a while and thought it might look good on this card.  

Since it's a vellum sticker, I decided to put 2 more layers of white vellum behind it to give it some support.  Here is a close-up of the details on 

the sticker.  I used a few medium sized flat glue dots to keep it in place.  I really liked how it turned out -- I think I may use more stickers from now on!

Now it's time for a little diversion!

I interrupt this program to bring you this exciting news... jk!  I want to point you over to a few more cards that have been created with this *hands* stamp!  Mami Dini pointed out a

 couple cards to me that Jacki Jones created that are so precious and beautiful.  In fact, I may have to CASE them!  Jacki made them for Christmas using the reverse mask technique and you just have to see what she did with them!  Click on the links to see them:

In the Birth of a Child...

Merry Christmas in His Hands

Amazing Love

Aren't they just the coolest cards?

Card hardware:

Here are close-ups of the brass bible charm and the blue metal tag.  The brass bible charm came in a package with other inspirational trinkets by Darice and the blue metal tag is by Making Memories.  I think I got both of them in clearance bins at either Michael's or JoAnn's. I try to get a lot of stuff on clearance -- because I can get more stuff that way, lol!!!

To add more dimension I colored the raised parts with a dark brown permanent Sharpie marker.

Thank you for visiting today!

God bless you!

Paper:  K-ology *Addison*, Stampin' Up whisper white, taken with teal, Bazzil teal cardstock

Inks: Copic Sketch Markers & ABS-2 Air Brush System, Timber Brown StazOn, Sharpie marker

Accesories: MM metal tags, Darice charms, EK Success True Faith stickers, Offray ribbon 5/8" Sidesaddle

*the copic markers and blending tool can be found at Creative Play Stamps